Fluid mixer

• US 7,448,553 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Masco Corporation Of Indiana (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Schmitt, Randall Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman; Marc E
• Application Number:
  US11/109,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20060231636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 236/12.1, 236/12.11, 236/12.12, 236/12.15, 236/12.16, 236/12.21
• US Class Current: 236/12.11
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 19/006 Specially adapted for faucets
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1393 characterised by the use of electric means

Abstract

A fluid mixer including a pair of inlets configured to impart a rotational fluid flow and a mixing element configured to facilitate fluid mixing streams.

Claims

1. A fluid mixer comprising:

a housing including an outer wall defining a mixing chamber;

a cold water inlet in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and configured to supply a combined cold water stream to the mixing chamber;

a hot water inlet in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and configured to supply a combined hot water stream to the mixing chamber;

a mixed water outlet in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and configured to receive a combined mixed water stream from the mixing chamber;

a stationary mixing element received within the mixing chamber and restrained from rotating relative to the housing, the mixing element including a hub and a plurality of blades extending outwardly from the hub; and

a mixing passageway defined within the mixing chamber intermediate the hub of the mixing element and the outer wall of the housing, wherein the cold water inlet and the hot water inlet are arranged to impart rotational flow to the combined cold water stream and the combined hot water stream within the mixing passageway, and the plurality of blades extend transverse to the mixing passageway.

2. The fluid mixer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of blades are configured to separate the combined cold water stream into a plurality of component cold water streams, and to separate the combined hot water stream into a plurality of component hot water streams.

3. The fluid mixer of claim 2, wherein the plurality of blades are further configured to turbulently mix the component cold water streams and the component hot water streams into the combined mixed water stream provided to the water outlet.

4. The fluid mixer of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to redirect the combined mixed water stream in a perpendicular direction to the mixing passageway and to the mixed water outlet.

5. The fluid mixer of claim 1, wherein the plurality of blades comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced first blades and a plurality of circumferentially spaced second blades, the first blades being axially spaced from the second blades.

6. The fluid mixer of claim 1, wherein the hub comprises a tubular member defining a fluid conduit to the mixed water outlet.

7. The fluid mixer of claim 1, further comprising a base coupled to the hub, the base including a plurality of mounting tabs, wherein the housing includes a plurality of recesses to receive the plurality of mounting tabs to restrain the base from rotating relative to the housing.

8. The fluid mixer of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of blades extends approximately half the distance across the mixing passageway.

9. The fluid mixer of claim 1, further comprising:

cold water valve coupled to the cold water inlet;

a hot water valve coupled to the hot water inlet; and

a controller operably coupled to the cold water valve and the hot water valve, the controller being configured to adjust the cold water valve and the hot water valve to regulate a mixed water temperature of the mixed water to substantially correspond to a desired water temperature.

10. A method of mixing a hot water stream and a cold water stream to produce a mixed water stream, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a mixing passageway;

supplying a combined cold water stream to the mixing passageway;

rotating the combined cold water stream within the mixing passageway;

supplying a combined hot water stream to the mixing passageway;

rotating the combined hot water stream within the mixing passageway;

separating the combined cold water stream into a plurality of component cold water streams by directing the combined cold water stream toward a stationary mixing element;

separating the combined hot water stream into a plurality of component hot water streams by directing the combined hot water stream toward the stationary mixing element; and

mixing the component cold water streams with the component hot water streams into a combined mixed water stream.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of adjusting the flow of at least one of the cold water stream and the hot water stream to control the temperature of the combined mixed water stream.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of mixing includes imparting turbulence to the component cold water streams and the component hot water streams.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of mixing further includes providing a plurality of blades and causing the component cold water streams and the component hot water streams to impinge on the blades, thereby causing sharp collision of the water streams.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of redirecting the combined mixed water stream in a perpendicular direction to the mixing passageway and to a mixed water outlet.

15. A fluid mixer comprising:

a housing including a first chamber and a second chamber in longitudinally spaced relation to the first chamber;

a stationary hub positioned within the housing;

a plurality of first blades extending laterally outwardly from the hub, positioned within the first chamber and restrained from rotating relative to the first chamber;

a plurality of second blades extending laterally outwardly from the hub, the second blades being positioned within the second chamber in spaced relation to the plurality of first blades and restrained from rotating relative to the second chamber; and

an outlet in fluid communication with the second chamber.

16. The fluid mixer of claim 15, further comprising at least one fluid inlet in fluid communication with the first chamber, the at least one fluid inlet being tangentially oriented relative to the first chamber to cause rotational flow of fluid provided by the at least one fluid inlet.

17. The fluid mixer of claim 15, wherein the hub comprises a tubular member defining a fluid conduit to the outlet.

18. The fluid mixer of claim 15, further comprising a base coupled to the hub, the base including a plurality of mounting tabs, wherein the housing includes a plurality of recesses to receive the plurality of mounting tabs to restrain the base from rotating relative to the housing.

19. The fluid mixer of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of first blades extends approximately half the distance from the hub to the housing within the first chamber.

20. The fluid mixer of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of second blades extends substantially the full distance from the hub to the housing within the second chamber.

21. The fluid mixer of claim 15, wherein the plurality of first blades are positioned in at least a partially overlapping arrangement.

22. The fluid mixer of claim 15, wherein the plurality of second blades are positioned in an overlapping arrangement.

23. A fluid mixer comprising:

a housing defining a mixing chamber;

a cold water inlet in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and configured to supply cold water;

a hot water inlet in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and configured to supply hot water;

a mixing element including a hub positioned within the housing, the mixing element being configured to combine the cold water and the hot water to produce a mixed water;

a mixed water passageway extending through the hub;

a first outlet in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and the mixed water passageway; and

a second outlet in fluid communication with the mixing chamber and the mixed water passageway, wherein the mixed water passageway is in spaced relation to the first outlet, and the mixed water passageway fluidly connects the mixing chamber to the second outlet.

24. The fluid mixer of claim 23, wherein the mixed water is configured to flow in a first direction from the mixing chamber to the first outlet, and the mixed water is configured to flow in a second direction opposite the first direction from the mixing chamber to the second outlet.

25. The fluid mixer pf claim 23, wherein the first outlet is in fluid communication with a first fluid delivery device, and the second outlet is in fluid communication with a second fluid delivery device.

26. The fluid mixer of claim 23, wherein the mixing element further includes a plurality of blades extending outwardly from the hub.