Fluid mixer

• US 7,475,827 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2005
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• 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:
  US11/109,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20060231637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 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: B01F 25/25 Mixing by jets impinging against collision plates
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/085 with cylindrical plug
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1393 characterised by the use of electric means

Abstract

A fluid mixer including a mixing element configured to separate and mix hot and cold water streams.

Claims

1. 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 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 mixing element received within the housing;

at least one directing member operably coupled to the mixing element and defining a cold water pathway and a hot water pathway in spaced relation to the cold water pathway, the cold water pathway directing the combined cold water stream from the cold water inlet to the mixing element and the hot water pathway directing the combined hot water stream from the hot water inlet to the mixing clement; and

wherein the mixing element is configured to separate the combined cold water stream into a plurality of spaced apart component cold water streams, to separate the combined hot water stream into a plurality of spaced apart component hot water streams, and to mix the component cold water streams and the component hot water streams into a plurality of spaced apart component mixed water streams, the mixing element being further configured to combine the plurality of component mixed water streams into a combined mixed water stream provided to the mixed water outlet.

2. The fluid mixer of claim 1, wherein the mixing element includes an outer wall having a first portion in fluid communication with the cold water pathway and a second portion in fluid communication with the hot water pathway, the first portion including a plurality of cold water separating ports configured to create the plurality of component cold water streams, and the second portion including a plurality of hot water separating ports configured to create the plurality of component hot water streams.

3. The fluid mixer of claim 2, wherein the mixing element further includes a plurality of combination channels, each combination channel in fluid communication with at least one of the cold water separating ports and at least one of the hot water separating ports.

4. The fluid mixer of claim 3, wherein the combined cross-sectional area of the plurality of combination channels is at least as great as the combined cross-sectional area of the plurality of cold water separating ports and the plurality of hot water separating ports.

5. The fluid mixer of claim 2, wherein the combined cross-sectional area of the plurality of cold water separating ports is at least as great as the cross-sectional area of the cold water inlet in order to prevent the loss of cold water flow due to back pressure, and the combined cross-sectional area of the hot water separating ports is at least as great as the combined cross-sectional area of the hot water inlet in order to prevent the loss of hot water flow due to back pressure.

6. The fluid mixer of claim 1, further comprising a first check valve operably coupled to the cold water inlet, and a second check valve operably coupled to the hot water inlet.

7. The fluid mixer of claim 1, further comprising a cold water temperature sensor operably coupled to the cold water inlet, a cold water pressure sensor operably coupled to the cold water inlet, a hot water temperature sensor operably coupled to the hot water inlet, and a hot water pressure sensor operably coupled to the hot water inlet.

8. The fluid mixer of claim 1, further comprising a mixed water temperature sensor operably coupled to the mixed water outlet, and a mixed water pressure sensor operably coupled to the mixed water outlet.

9. The fluid mixer of claim 8, wherein the mixed water outlet includes:

an outer tubular member in fluid communication with the mixing element;

an inner tubular member concentrically received within the outer tubular member and having an inlet end positioned within the outer tubular member and a discharge end configured to be coupled to a fluid delivery device; and

wherein the mixed water temperature sensor and the mixed water pressure sensor are coupled to the outer tubular member proximate the inlet end of the inner tubular member.

10. The fluid mixer of claim 9, wherein the cross-sectional area of the inner tubular member is at least as great as the combined cross-sectional area of the cold water inlet and the hot water inlet, and the difference between the cross-sectional area of the outer tubular member and the cross-sectional area of the inner tubular member is at least as great as the combined cross-sectional area of the cold water inlet and the hot water inlet, thereby preventing the loss of mixed water flow due to back pressure.

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

a 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 the desired water temperature.

12. A fluid mixing element comprising:

a longitudinally extending outer wall;

a plurality of cold water separating ports defined within the outer wall;

a plurality of hot water separating ports defined within the outer wall;

a plurality of longitudinally extending combination channels, each combination channel being in fluid communication with at least one of the cold water separating ports and at least one of the hot water separating ports, and separated from the other combination channels to produce a plurality of spaced apart component mixed water streams; and

a discharge end in fluid communication with the plurality of combination channels to combine the plurality of component mixed water streams, wherein each combination channel includes a radially extending first wall, a radially extending second wall connected to the first wall, and an arcuate connecting wall extending between the first wall and the second wall.

13. The fluid mixing element of claim 12, wherein the cross-section of each combination channel is substantially pie-shaped.