CA2255210A1 - Improved replaceable ceramic disc valve - Google Patents

Improved replaceable ceramic disc valve Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2255210A1
CA2255210A1 CA 2255210 CA2255210A CA2255210A1 CA 2255210 A1 CA2255210 A1 CA 2255210A1 CA 2255210 CA2255210 CA 2255210 CA 2255210 A CA2255210 A CA 2255210A CA 2255210 A1 CA2255210 A1 CA 2255210A1
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disc
socket
spindle
cartridge
bore
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CA 2255210
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French (fr)
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Francisco Enrique Viegener
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Individual
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Individual
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Abstract

An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve for controlling a fluid flow from a fluid supply, the valve comprising a valve cylindrical cartridge having an axial bore extending between a top open end and a bottom open end of the valve body, the bottom end is connected to the fluid supply when the cartridge is connected to the fluid supply, a rotatable spindle being mounted within the bore and sealed against the bore, the spindle having an upper end, extending outside the valve body and passing through the top open end of the body, and a bottom end, located within the bore, a stationary and a movable ceramic discs being arranged within the bore, the movable ceramic disc being connected to the spindle for regulating the fluid flow through the valve upon rotation of the movable disc relative to the stationary disc, an end socket firmly removably fixed to the bottom open end of the valve body, the socket defining a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the bore in the valve body, and a sealing and urging O-ring being located in an inner part of the socket, around said inlet, for urging the discs to be in contact to each other.

Description

CA 022~210 1998-12-04 IMPROVED REPLACEABLE CERAMIC DISC VALVE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to improvements in valves which operate to control flow therethrough by a 90~ or greater rotation of a manual actuating handle or lever, the handle being connected to a spindle that is inside the valve and connected in turn to a movable ceramic disc to rotate the disc, the movable disc being in turn operatively related, as a plug, to at least one opening for the liquid passing through a stationary ceramic disc, said stationary disc and said movable plug disc being juxtaposed, that is facing to each other, by polished flat facing surfaces, under the urging action of elastic means More specifically, these improvements relate to valves in which the assembly formed by said spindle and ceramics discs, is enclosed in a cartridge that is detachable located in a valve housing, the cartridge being removable engaged, by screwing, in the housing, so as to adjust a sealing means between a supply pipe outlet of the valve housing and an inlet of the cartridge, as well as to . ., CA 022~210 1998-12-04 establish the adjustment of one sealing means between an outlet of the cartridge and a collecting end of a discharge pipe in a pouring spout, for example.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
It is well known that the above type of valves suffer several drawbacks, to some of which reference will be made as follows.
Lateral supporting or resting points of the spindle within its corresponding guide hole, through which the spindle extends outside the cartridge body, are relatively close together, resulting in a high lateral strength, specially if, like often occurs, the same is actuated by a lever arm which besides applying a torque, the lever exerts a high bending moment due to the eccentricity of this lever or arm.
Due to the above mentioned fact, it is necessary to incorporate an intermediate coupling means between the spindle and the movable ceramic element which compensates the total alignment difference between both elements in order to assure the integrity of the movable ceramic one and that the adjustment between both discs is no affected.
This intermediate element not only means one more part in the assembly, but it requires the use of materials with some elastomeric capacity, e.g., a thermoplastic material, which causes a large scale production to be CA 022~210 1998-12-04 cumbersome and complex as long as it is not possible to obtain exact dimensions.
On the other hand, it is usual to provide only one O-ring, at most two O-rings, for sealing the joint between the spindle and the cartridge body, which joint, due to the lateral strength wear out, is affected by liquid leakage and grease or lubrication looses thus increasing the wear out of the metal surfaces that work one against the other.
This drawback mainly results from reduced length of the coupling element that is necessary to locate the coupling element between the spindle and the movable ceramic disc, this reduced length causes the O rings to be very close to each other, this not only reducing the capability of the O-rings to contribute to stabilizing of the spindle, but also the capability of the O-rings to contain lubricant between the same.
Another problem resides in the impossibility of creating a wide grease chamber which allows to receive a high volume under conditions that assure a permanent lubrication of the O-rings, of all adjusted surfaces and, more specifically, of the area wherein the stops limiting the angular movement of the spindle operate.
It is important that this grease chamber is delimited between two O-rings, one O-ring being located at the end of the spindle projecting outwardly of the cartridge and the other O-ring at the inner end of the spindle in the CA 022~210 1998-12-04 proximity of the movable ceramic element, so that, between the two O-rings, a rotation limit area is defined as well as an axial stop portion of the spindle, which area should limit the action of the resilient elements which in turn should maintain both discs urged against each other with their respective polished surfaces tightly abutting to each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 4.651.770 discloses a way to adapt a cartridge so as the same is capable of being operated clockwise or counterclockwise, by disassembling the lower ceramic disc from the cartridge, by rotating the disc outside the cartridge and then re-locating the disc inside the cartridge.
This system makes necessary to provide the disc with two proportionally small and brittle peripheral projections and their corresponding recesses at the cartridge wall, with the additional drawback that the ceramic disc is fastened by the sealing ring, which ring adjusts the end socket of the cartridge to the bottom of its housing and thus, as it tightens the same inside the latter, this ring becomes very much compressed and this results in a resilient reaction, which reaction, although producing the desired effect in this joint, causes an excessive wear between both ceramic discs and this contributes in turn to a more intensive wear.
Another problem with these valves resides in the fact that when the valve housing provides one cold and one hot water inlet communicating with the same nozzle or outlet CA 022~210 1998-12-04 mean, it is necessary to provide two cartridges assembled in a different way in order to obtain that the actuating arm of the right side rotates to open in a clockwise movement and the one of the left side in a counterclockwise movement, also for opening, and consequently it is necessary to provide means that allow to change the rotation sense in a same cartridge, in order to accommodate it in the valve housing.
3. Summary of the Invention.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a better behavior of the spindle with respect to the lateral stresses that arise by acting on the lever arm or handle, which allows to establish a direct coupling of an inner end of the spindle with the movable ceramic disc, eliminating any intermediate damping element, what does not mean that the sealing means between both discs looses effectiveness or that they are submitted to other stresses different to the simple rotary impulse in both senses.
A further substantial object of these improvements is that the elastic reaction of the means that assure the juxtaposition of the two discs results exclusively from the design of the cartridge elements, or, in other words, that it is completely independent of the adjustment grade of the cartridge inside its valve housing.
For a better understanding of the invention it can be stated that the aim is to obtain that the elastic action CA 022~210 1998-12-04 of said adjustment means or urging and sealing means for the ceramic discs, is established at the predetermined design state, as soon as the adjustment of the cartridge begins inside its location in the valve housing, without modifications during the mounting operation, even when it faces the final stress normally required for compressing the sealing means of the usual joint between cartridge and housing.
Another object of the invention is that it is not necessary to interchange any element of the cartridge with other provided separately, but the operative rotation sense of the valve may be modified by simply changing the position of one of said discs, by an easy operation, also for a no skilled user and without tools.
The invention relates to a type of valve in which all the movable parts are fully protected and contained within a cartridge which can be inserted and removed, generally fastened by screwing, inside a corresponding valve housing. This valve housing may contain waterways which may supply either hot or cold water to said cartridge and channels to carry the water away from the cartridge to a spout or other kind of outlet. The same cartridge may be used, when it must be operated clockwise or counterclockwise, by easily changing the position of one of its components.
The opening and closing of the water flow is obtained by means of a pair of ceramic discs juxtaposed one CA 022~210 1998-12-04 to the other by facing and abutting polished surfaces, one stationary disc attached to the cartridge and one movable disc coupled to an actuating spindle which rotates 90~, with both discs being resiliently urged against each other through urging and sealing means and under an action predetermined by the design of the cartridge elements, completely independent of the tighten rate which is defined during the cartridge mounting in a cartridge housing. This means that whichever the adjustment rate of the cartridge is achieved in the housing, the resilient pressure set between both discs will be always maintained the same.
All these valve components are made of metal, except the ceramic discs, consisting of high precision parts which may be produced in large scale, eliminating all other materials, such as plastics, thus reducing the manufacture costs.
The spindle is held by two lateral supports largely spaced apart one relative to the other, thus preventing any possibility of lateral bending, with two spaced apart O-rings being provided around the spindle, whit a wide sealing grease-containing chamber being formed between the two 0-rings, this chamber containing the most part of the spindle length, the limits or stops limiting the spindle rotation in both directions, as well as the axial stop between this spindle and the cartridge, through which the cartridge gives the necessary support to the spindle and ceramic assembly CA 022~210 1998-12-04 with respect to the action of the elastic means which establish the sliding adjustment of both ceramic parts together.
The cartridge has a detachably or removably mounted end socket through which socket the cartridge body rests on the housing bottom by outer sealing means completely independent from other inner sealing and urging means which within the end socket maintain both ceramic discs resiliently urged one against the other, so that the adjustment pressure of the cartridge in its housing does not act on this urging and sealing means.
The lower ceramic disc is mounted within said end socket, the periphery of the disc resting on the urging and sealing means which presses the stationary disc against the upper movable disc and this ceramic disc is formed by a slidable guided cylindrical block such as a rotating piston within the valve body and directly coupled to a cylindrical internal end portion of the spindle which is also slidably guided within the cartridge like a rotating piston.
This spindle-movable disc arrangement can be removed from the cartridge through its lower end, by removing previously the end socket with the lower ceramic stationary disc and after a 90~ rotation it is replaced again thus restoring the direct coupling with the spindle which remained in its position, and then relocating the socket with the stationary disc in order to achieve the mentioned change in CA 022~210 1998-12-04 the rotating direction of the spindle: from clockwise to counterclockwise operation.
The coupling between the spindle and the upper movable ceramic disc is possible because both are guided like a piston in the valve body which acts like a common guiding cylinder for both parts including the lower ceramic disc which has also an upper part thereof guided in the same cylinder, while a lower part is guided and retained against rotation in said end socket of the cartridge.
One important matter that assures a long life of the cartridge must be remarked, which is the strength of the direct coupling between the internal end of the spindle and the movable ceramic disc, provided by the means in both elements. Another particular feature of this invention is given by the fact that when the upper movable ceramic disc opens the stationary ceramic openings, it provides by itself channels for the water which deviate the water 90~ to the openings of the lateral wall of the cartridge, without any turbulence, actuating like an elbow, in relation with every opening of the lower stationary disc.
The valve according to this invention presents a very compact design at a relatively low cost, by making possible to omit the referred intermediate element between spindle and movable ceramic disc. In addition, the design chosen for the direct coupling between the spindle and the movable ceramic disc allows this coupling to be performed .... ... . . . . ... , . ... . ,~ .... . .. .

CA 022~210 1998-12-04 like a very strong part not offering any kind of weakness which could cause a breakage during the cartridge assembling or after disassembling and assembling again in order to change its coupling position with the spindle when the rotation direction of the same must be changed.
The strength of said coupling between the spindle and the upper ceramic movable disc as well as the strength of the adopted configuration to retain the ceramic disc fixed to the cartridge, always in the same position, independently of the urging and resilient means for adjustment between both discs and also the sealing means for the adjustment of the cartridge in its housing, is such that it was possible to obtain a cartridge capable of operating over 2.000.000 cycles, without leakage, this practically representing a useful life of more than 50 years. This is due to the larger amount of lubricant mass which can be incorporated and retained within the cartridge, which assures that practically no wear was found between the ring surfaces of the spindles and the body of the cartridge which determine the axial stop between both elements, due to the action of the elastic means which establish a sealing joint between both discs, keeping this joint and maintaining the elastic reaction of this means and thus the controlled adjustment between both discs.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved replaceable ceramic disc valve for CA 022~210 1998-12-04 controlling a fluid flow from a fluid supply, the valve comprising:
a valve cartridge including a generally cylindrical valve body including an axial bore extending between a top open end and a bottom open end of the valve body, the bottom end being open to be in fluid communication with said fluid supply when the cartridge is connected to the fluid supply, a rotatable spindle to which a handle may be attached to operate the valve, the spindle being mounted within said axial bore and sealed against the bore, the spindle having an upper end, extending outside the valve body and passing through the top open end of the body, and a bottom end, located within the bore, a stationary ceramic disc and a movable ceramic disc, the movable disc being connected to the bottom end of the spindle for regulating the fluid flow through the valve upon rotation of the movable disc relative to the stationary disc, an end socket firmly removably fixed to the bottom open end of the valve body, the socket defining a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the bore in the valve body, and sealing and urging means located in an inner part of the socket, around said inlet, the stationary ceramic CA 022~210 1998-12-04 disc being urged against the movable disc by said urging and sealing means.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be better understood when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention is illustrated by way of example in the following drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 shows a side elevation view of a ceramic disc valve cartridge according to the invention;
FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of the valve cartridge of Figure 1;
FIG. 3 shows a bottom plan view of the valve ca~.ridae of Fiaure 1;
FIG. sho~s a longitudinal partial cross-sectional ' C~ e Vc~lV~ of the invention, taken along line I-I of _____ 2i -~C-. 5 -hows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of -- c~ h_ invention, similar to Figure 4, with the T~ - c_rc~ iC disc in the open position;
~ IG. ~ shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view - .c ~ re 5, but in the closed or shut-off ' - i ... . . ..

CA 022~210 1998-12-04 FIG. 7 shows an exploded, partially cross-sectional view of the components of the valve with the components in the open position;
FIG. 8 shows an exploded view similar to Figure 7, but without the valve body being shown and with the components in the closed position;
FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of an upper portion of the spindle, illustrating opposite cuts cooperating with rotational limit stops provided in the valve body;
FIG: 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the valve, taken along line II-II of Fig. 5;
FIG: 11 shows a cross-sectional view of the valve, taken along line III-III of Fig. 5;
FIG: 12 shows a cross-sectional view of the valve, taken along line IV-IV of Fig. 5, illustrating a coupling between the lower end of the spindle and the movable ceramic disc;
FIG. 13 shows a side elevational view of a movable disc, illustrating one bent opening for circulation of fluid;
FIG. 14 shows a top plan view of the movable disc of Fig. 13, illustrating a coupling head thereof with a cross-shaped coupling recess;
FIG. 15 shows a bottom plan view of the movable disc of Figs. 13, 14, illustrating the bent openings thereof;

CA 022~210 1998-12-04 FIG. 16 shows a cross-sectional view of the movable disc, taken along line V-V of Fig. 14;
FIG. 17 shows a side elevational view of the stationary ceramic disc according to the invention;
FIG. 18 shows a top plan view of the stationary disc of Fig. 17, illustrating through openings for the fluid flow into the valve;
FIG. 19 shows a bottom plan view of the stationary disc of Figs. 17, 18, illustrating the through openings for fluid pass and recesses for mounting the disc on the socket and preventing the disc from rotating relative to the valve body;
FIG. 20 shows a cross-sectional view of the stationary disc, taken along line VI-VI of Fig. 18;
FIG. 21 shows a cross-sectional view of the stationary disc, taken along line VII-VII of Fig. 18;
FIG. 22 shows a top perspective exploded view of a lower portion of the spindle, the movable and stationary discs and the socket, without the urging and sealing O-ring of the socket being shown for clarity purposes;
FIG. 23 shows a bottom perspective exploded view of a lower portion of the spindle, the movable and stationary discs and the socket, without the urging and sealing O-ring of the socket being shown for clarity purposes;
FIG. 24 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the valve cartridge of the invention mounted in a cartridge CA 022~210 1998-12-04 housing, of a faucet for example, illustrating the fluid inlet and outlet; and FIG. 25 shows a detailed cross-sectional view of a lower portion of the valve, illustrating the socket during the fitting thereof onto a bottom skirt of the bottom open end of the valve body;

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Now referring in detail to the drawings it may be seen from valve cartridge embodying this invention is formed by a valve body a screwed within the corresponding housing b' of the valve body _ (see Figure 23) with a spindle c projecting externally at its upper part through an end 1 at which is applied a handle, e.g. in form of a lever arm (not showed) and includes, as direct control elements of water flowing through the cartridge, a pair of ceramic discs concentrically superposed one with respect to the other and coaxially with respect to said spindle, one stationary lower disc e retained against rotation in a corresponding recess on the inside of the valve body and one movable upper disc _ rotatably mounted in another recess of the latter and connected with said spindle.
The body of the valve is made out of metal with a generally cylindrical shape, with an axial bore 2 in the upper end portion 3 in which the spindle c is inserted with slidable adjustment which protrudes from said upper end 1 of CA 022~210 1998-12-04 a flat top 3' and opposed to this bore, has a long coaxial bore 4 of larger diameter which includes the intermediate and lower part of this body and defines the sealing chamber a'' of the cartridge which constitutes the housing for the internal part of the spindle, the pair of ceramic discs, the elastic adjustment means between the same and other necessary parts for controlling its operation by the spindle rotation, as well as, the sealing means, i.e. the O-rings.
The lower part of the sleeve forms the socket a' of the cartridge, through which socket the latter will seat and sealingly adjust on the bottom of the housing b' that provides the body b of the cock, in which body the corresponding water supply inlet 5 and outlet 6 are formed, e.g. from the supply and toward a discharge spout in a washbasin respectively, with the intercommunication between the inlet and outlet being controlled through this cartridge (Fig. 24).
The lower part or socket end a' is open to form the inlet port through which water flows into said chamber, passes through the ceramic discs and out of the cartridge to said outlet fluid supply 6 of the cartridge housing of the cock _ through outlet ports 7 formed in the wall 8 of the sleeve surrounding said chamber.
According to one basic feature of this invention said end socket a' of the sleeve body is formed by a separate part, spaced from its lateral wall 8, surrounding said CA 022~210 1998-12-04 chamber and is formed by an upright wall which has a step 9 in the upper part of the external lateral surface over which the bottom skirt 8' of this wall engages with slidable adjustment in order to create a removable engagement between this annular part as removable socket of the sleeve and the tubular wall of the same, this socket having a flat base at an outer part 10 for support and sealing adjustment at the bottom 11 of the housing b' of the cartridge housing b around the corresponding bore 5' of the waterway inlet 5.
This sealing adjustment is achieved by an intermediate O-ring 12 applied to a corresponding outer groove, as shown in the drawings.
The corresponding water inlet opening 13 to the sleeve a is limited by the respective passage of this annular part the diameter of which increases progressively until it reaches one internal annular step 14 formed under a level relative the surrounding wall 15 of this part, this part externally providing the step 9 on which the periphery 8' of a sleeve wall adjusts. This step together with the short length of this wall 15 raising around it constituting the corresponding fitting for the rear part of the lower stationary ceramic disc e, this disc resting, at a periphery of its flat lower face, on an elastic seat provided by an 0-ring 16 applied in a groove or throat 14' of said step-bottom 14 of the fitting while it is maintained, by its periphery, laterally in a coaxial position relative to the spindle c by CA 022~210 1998-12-04 said narrow wall 15 while it is retained relative to this socket, in the manner described below.
The progressive widening of the water inlet bore 13 toward the sleeve, through said end socket a'. determines an inverted conical surface extending from the base 10 of this part to the groove 14 and from this surfaces two laterally opposed projections are protruding, forming, as can be seen in Fig. 21, upright projections 17 which arise with respect to the plane of said groove, projecting lightly from the plane of the wall edge 15.
The lower ceramic disc e has at a rear face 18, through which the disc seats on the sealing and urging means such as an O-ring 16, two recesses 19 for said upward projections which are embedded in the thickness of its ceramic body without affecting its polished upper face 20. In this manner the disc e is restrained from rotation with respect to said socket, which in turn is also restrained from rotation with respect to the lateral wall 8 of the sleeve a by means of two upright projections 15' of the edge of the socket wall, diametrically opposed one to the other and, when engaged to the socket within the periphery 8 of the socket wall, the projections adapt in mating recesses defining two recesses 8" formed in the inner .step defined by the step 8' through which this wall adapts around the lateral wall 15 of the end socket (Fig. 7).

CA 022~210 1998-12-04 In this manner the lower ceramic remains restrained from rotation with respect to the sleeve but without restriction in axial direction, so it çan be dismantled by means of a simple unplugging of the socket where it will be mounted, but detachable, leaving a free access to the upper disc _ with the object stated below.
The internal diameter of the wall 15 of the end socket a' and of the wall 8 of the sleeve a are substantially the same and with the diameter of the cylindrical lateral surface of both discs, and consequently, the lower disc e protruding from the socket wall remains with this upper protruding portion surrounded with slidable adjustment by said sleeve wall, with its upper face 20 flushed to the lower edge of the water outlet openings 7 from the inner part of the cartridge to the outlet bore 7 of the valve housing b (see Fig. 24).
The spindle c comprises an upper end portion 21, an intermediate portion 22 and a lower end portion 23 directly coupled against rotation to the upper movable ceramic disc _ as will be explained below. This spindle is mounted on the valve body by introducing it through the open lower end of the cartridge, obviously before applying both ceramic discs and the end socket a' with the lower ceramic disc e; the upper end portion 21 is inserted through the bore 2 and protrudes from the top 3' of the upper end part 3 of the sleeve by end 1 in almost all the length, because a short CA 022~210 1998-12-04 portion 21' remains inserted with slidable adjustment and hermetically within this bore through an O-ring 24 applied on a throat 21".
The intermediate portion of the spindle has a diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the sleève wall (chamber a") up to upper end part 3 on which bore 2 is formed with an even smaller diameter, through which bore passes the upper end portion 21 of the spindle c, having this upper end part 3 of the sleeve and the adjacent upper sector 22' of the intermediate portion 22 of the spindle two opposed annular surfaces 22" and 3" defining the mentioned axial stop I of the spindle, from the inner to the outer side, in the upper end part 3 of the sleeve, with a thin friction washer 26 interposed between both surfaces. As already mentioned this axial stop I restricts the resilient reaction of the resilient means, the O-ring, which urges both ceramic discs to abut to each other.
The spindle has, between said upper sector 22' of the intermediate portion 22 and the lower end portion-piston 23, a narrowing formed by two transverse notches 27 diametrically opposed one to other, which determine a transversal central sector 22", substantially rectangular, having two end projections 22"" diametrically opposed and protruding from the cylindrical virtual surface of this portion and with two projections 28 of the sleeve wall, in turn protruding within these notches, constituting the CA 022~210 1998-12-04 mentioned mating stops which restrict the spindle rotation to approximately 90~.
The lower and inner end portion 23 completing the body of the spindle has a basically cylindrical form, of larger diameter, so that it occupies all the amplitude of the lower part of sleeve chamber a'' and has an appreciable length, with which and through its slidable adjustment with the sleeve wall, it acts like a rotating piston which gives a firm stability against lateral efforts which can be exerted on the handle applied on the upper end of the spindle, having also a throat 23' on which the second O-ring 29 is applied which O-ring establishes a perfect sealing joint with the sleeve wall 8.
One important feature of this improvements is based on the fact that with the described arrangement, the spindle c remains hermetically adjusted in the inside of the sleeve through the two O-rings 24 and 29 with a great distance between the same, i.e. an appreciable length of the spindle between its two lateral supporting points in the sleeve body and obtaining thereby a better performance against the lateral efforts which are produced during the manual operation of the handle in which the limiting stop of the rotation in one or the other direction is produced exactly between both O-rings.
On the other hand, this arrangement allows to form a wide grease chamber between both O-rings 24 and 29, in which CA 022~210 1998-12-04 chamber a large length of the spindle, practically about one third or more, is contained thus providing a perfect and continuos lubrication of the O-rings and of all the friction surfaces of the spindle and sleeve body.
This lower end sector of the spindle is directly coupled to the upper ceramic disc d, i.e. without any intermediate part, unlike what happens with the conventional cartridges of this type. This direct coupling is established by the insertion of a projection of the lower face of said piston portion 23 of the spindle c diametrically oriented but with a length shorter than its diameter and forming a coupling projection 30 with ceramic disc _, which disc is formed by a cylindrical block having a diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of this piston 23 and accommodating in a widening of the chamber a'' forming the respective anchoring for the same, extending up to its lower marginal portion 8' that surrounds the lower disc e.
This upper ceramic disc block d has a planar upper face with direct juxtaposition with the lower face of piston 23 of spindle e the upright projection 30 of which is inserted in an anchoring 31 of the upper portion of this part thus actuating like a mating coupling head d', forming a firm retention against rotation between spindle and disc, whereby the first disc actuates directly on the second disc without affecting the correct juxtaposition between both polished faces of both ceramic discs, which is assured by the CA 022~210 1998-12-04 resilient seat of the periphery of lower disc e resting against the O-ring in annular socket a' of the sleeve.
One substantial feature of the improvements of the invention resides in the fact that the elastic reaction of the O-ring 16, establishing the sealing adjustment between both discs, is exclusively determined by the design of the different elements comprising the cartridge, what is completely independent of the adjustment rate of the cartridge in the housing of the valve housing. This is so because when the cartridge is fixed by screwing within said housing, established through its tubular wall 8, no pressure is exerted on this O-ring 16, since the sleeve having this lateral wall 8 supported on the step 9 of the lateral wall 15 of the annular socket a' determines that all the pressure resulting from the screwing is transmitted directly to the O-ring 12 which seals the joint between the socket and the bottom of the valve body or housing, around the respective intercommunicating bores. All this assembly assures the conservation, under perfect conditions, of the polished surfaces juxtaposed between both ceramic discs, this being due to the fact that the assembly adjustment at the factory is maintained independently of the operation for installing the cartridge in the valve housing.
According to the conventional configuration, the lower ceramic disc e, of circular form, provides the usual triangle-formed openings 32 located in diametrically opposed CA 022~210 1998-12-04 quadrants of the disc, whereas the upper disc d provides two mating openings d'' also with a triangle configuration located in the same manner but opened over the periphery of the disc, whereby when they are located mating said openings 32 of the lower disc e, the liquid is able to flow through the cartridge, from bore 13 of end socket a' to side openings 7 of the sleeve wall and hence to outlet 6 of housing b' of valve housing b, thus limiting the fluid flow through the cartridge controlled by the rotation of the upper disc (Fig.
24).
Between openings d'', sectors 33 of the disc are defined, which sectors are sealingly closed when they are positioned mating said openings 32 of the lower disc, due to the fact that they have a greater extension because of the sealing contact between the polished faces of both discs.
According to the improvements of this invention, upper ceramic element _ is formed by a cylindrical ceramic block, with a height three times greater than the thickness of the lower disc, as shown in the drawings, with a polished flat lower base through which it adjusts in the mating face of the stationary lower disc and on which the referred openings d'' are formed. These openings are formed in the block body and open side surface 34 of the disc, but without covering all this surface height, and each of these openings d'' is formed like a passage which comprises two end openings, one inlet located on the ad~usting sealing face abutting CA 022~210 1998-12-04 against the stationary lower ceramic face e and one outlet on said cylindrical lateral surface 34 of the block (Figs. 22-23).
These two openings are coincident over the edge 34' of the block, defined by intersecting said lateral surface 34 with the sealing face of the disc, the inlet comprising one circular segment of wide angular amplitude, whereas the outlet comprises one rectangular sector of said lateral surface 34 of the same angular amplitude, the referred opening d'' being delimited between two flat sides 35 which sides, in coincidence with the sides of said circular segment, are radially oriented in divergence to each other, until matching with the vertical sides of the rectangular outlet and joining with an upper part 36 which raises progressively from central sector 37 of said sealing face of the block until reaching the highest level coinciding with the upper side of the lateral outlet having a longitudinal profile curved-concave, radially oriented (Figs. 5, 7, 16).
In this manner, when locating said upper ceramic element _ in an opening position, with both passages d coincident with the openings 32 of the lower ceramic disc e, the water flowing through the openings is guided without turbulencé through these passages to outlets 7 from lateral wall 8 of the sleeve located at the level of the outlet of both passages.

CA 022~210 1998-12-04 The water entering the housing is deflected from the longitudinal direction to a transverse direction maintaining its l~m; n~r condition. Practically each one of these passages d'' actuates like a 90~ elbow. With this configuration of the openings d'' in the lower face and side surface of ceramic disc d, the upper part of the disc remains free to form one solid coupling head d' which allows to form the referred fitting for the upright projection 30 for direct coupling of the spindle with this disc.
The resulting cartridge of this invention can be used for a separate control in the same valve housing, for cold and hot water by operating the valve clockwise or counterclockwise, without substantial modifications or additional elements in the cartridge. All what is needed for changing de actuating direction of the cartridge spindle, from clockwise to counterclockwise, consists in rotating the upper ceramic block with respect to the spindle c, at an angle of 90~, and coupling the same again. This may be made thank to coupling head d' that has a second fitting 31 for the corresponding upward projection 30 of the spindle, formed, like the first one, by another groove, crosslike oriented, as shown in Figs. 12, 14, 22.
To rotate ceramic block d it is enough to disassemble the annular end socket a' by unplugging it from end portion 8' of the wall 8 of the housing a, lower ceramic disc e mounted within the housing being also separated, CA 022~210 1998-12-04 obtaining in this way free access to the upper ceramic disc d which can be easily removed, further rotating the disc along 90~ and re-locating the disc again, putting the end socket with the stationary disc e within the same. Then, the cartridge may be installed within the corresponding housing b' of valve housing _.
It is easy to understand that lower ceramic disc e remains always in the same position relative to the spindle and hence relative to the sleeve due to the fact that it is restrained from rotation with the end socket, with projections 17 being inserted in recesses 19 and this part is restrained from rotation with respect to the sleeve by inserting projections 15' in recess 8" of the side wall of the sleeve.
When upper ceramic disc _ is in a closed position, openings 32 of lower ceramic disc e are totally covered by sectors 33 of said upper disc _ and the pressure exerted by the water from inlet 5 and 5', acts on these sectors 33 through said openings 32 and consequently tends to lift the upper disc which lifting would produce a gap between the juxtaposed faces of both discs and hence the resulting leakage to openings 7 of wall 8 of the sleeve. This situation, however, is prevented by the resilient urging action of O-ring 16 which maintains under continuous contact both discs. The upper disc does not fail under this water pressure because it is supported by its coupling head in CA 022~210 1998-12-04 lower end 23 of spindle c, which spindle, in turn, is also supported by step 25 of upper part 3 of the valve body, through friction washer 26. The same occurs when upper disc _ is in an open position since the water flow through the angular passage of this part generates an axial component which tends to produce the above mentioned lifting, but in a smaller extent.
All the pressure within the cartridge which can be axially exerted on the spindle c through the handle of the same, is avoided through one Groover type retention washer 38, or similar washer, or a U-formed clip, inserted in a groove or throat 1' in outer portion 1, and adjusted on top 3' of upper part 3 of the valve body.
It is clear that the direct coupling between piston 23 of spindle c and movable upper ceramic disc _ is possible due to the fact that the first disc and also the cylindrical block (also a piston) of the second disc, are slidable guided in the valve body with wall 8 acting like a common guide cylinder.
The length or height of said part of the piston of spindle c like the same of the ceramic block _ prevents all lateral movement or oscillation, allowing the coupling to be established with projection 30 of the spindle which is inserted in a fitting 31 of head 34 of the ceramic block, without any possibility of an erroneous positioning of the upper ceramic disc with relative to the lower disc.

CA 022~210 1998-12-04 On the other side, lower disc e, in addition to the fact that is guided by its upper part within the periphery of said wall 8, defines a resilient seat determined by O-ring 16 which compensates any eventual deviation, which does not occur in the practice.
It is easy to understand why the resilient action of O-ring 16 depends on the design of the integrating elements of the assembly, if the following is considered.
When the cartridge is assembled, the end socket a' contains the lower disc e simply supported by its periphery on the O-ring 16, which presents its normal section without load; this subassembly is applied to the open lower end of the wall 8 of the cartridge a plugging its own short wall 15 within the periphery 8' of this wall 8 and when the lower disc a remains juxtaposed with the upper disc, which as already mentioned, is supported by the piston 23 or the spindle c which in turn is axially supported on the step 25 through a friction washer 26; it can be appreciated that a separation x exists between the edge of the periphery 8' of the wall 8 and the step 9' of the socket determined by the external recess 9 in which this periphery is adapted.
Consequently all the displacement that is needed still to complete the plugging of the socket until said edge rests on the step, means a compression of O-ring 16 and the resulting elastic reaction which determines the adjustment between both polished surfaces of the two discs, which is CA 022~210 1998-12-04 determined exclusively by this displacement between sleeve and end socket in a completely independent manner with respect to the amount of adjustment of the cartridge within its housing.
All the above allows to understand also that the resulting pressure due to the screwing of the cartridge a within its housing b' of the valve housing is directly transmitted by the wall 8 of the sleeve to the socket and so to the bottom 11 of this housing through the O-ring 12, which is compressed sealing the connection between the inlet waterway 5 of the housing and the inlet 13 of said end socket, whereas the pressure between the ceramic parts remains unchanged.
The retention of socket a' to the sleeve is simply obtained by friction between their respective adjusted surfaces, lateral wall 15 of the first one and marginal portion 8' of wall 8 of the second one.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and describ~d, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that ~-arious changes and modifications may be made therein wit~.out departing from the scope of the invention as defined -n the appended claims.

Claims (22)

1. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve for controlling a fluid flow from a fluid supply, the valve comprising:
a valve cartridge including a generally cylindrical valve body including an axial bore extending between a top open end and a bottom open end of the valve body, the bottom end being open to be in fluid communication with said fluid supply when the cartridge is connected to the fluid supply, a rotatable spindle to which a handle may be attached to operate the valve, the spindle being mounted within said axial bore and sealed against the bore, the spindle having an upper end, extending outside the valve body and passing through the top open end of the body, and a bottom end, located within the bore, a stationary ceramic disc and a movable ceramic disc, the movable disc being connected to the bottom end of the spindle for regulating the fluid flow through the valve upon rotation of the movable disc relative to the stationary disc, an end socket firmly removably fixed to the bottom open end of the valve body, the socket defining a fluid inlet in fluid communication with the bore in the valve body, and sealing and urging means located in an inner part of the socket, around said inlet, the stationary ceramic disc being urged against the movable disc by said urging and sealing means.
2. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 1, wherein the socket is an annular socket with an upright peripheral cylindrical wall having a peripheral step to fit inside a bottom skirt of the bottom end of the valve body, the inner part of the socket being connected to the valve body, while an outer part of the socket, encircling said inlet, is provided with outer sealing means to seal against a fluid outlet of the fluid supply.
3. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 1, wherein said urging and sealing mans comprises an O-ring made out of a resilient material, fitted into an annular groove encircling said inlet of the socket, and the stationary ceramic disc sealingly rests against the O-ring.
4. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 3, wherein the stationary disc comprises two through orifices communicating with the inlet of the socket, the O-ring of the socket sealing against a periphery of the stationary disc, encircling the orifices, whereby the stationary disc rests against the O-ring without axially engaging the socket.
5. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 2, wherein the outer sealing means comprises an O-ring arranged in an outer groove of the outer part of the socket, the pressure exerted on the outer sealing means by the mounting of the cartridge against the outlet of the fluid supply being transmitted to the valve body via the socket, without any pressure resulting from the connection of the cartridge to the fluid supply outlet being transmitted to the stationary and movable discs.
6. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 1, wherein the movable disc is in positive sliding contact with the stationary disc, the movable disc being connected to the lower end of the spindle through a coupling head of the movable disc comprising a cross-shaped recess, the lower end of the spindle having an axial projection extending into one of the arms of the cross coupling recess.
7. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 1, wherein said stationary ceramic disc has at least two diametrically opposing recesses and the socket includes at least two upright projections each entering into a respective of said recesses to fix the stationary disc in position within the bore, between the valve body and the socket.
8. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 2, wherein the upright peripheral wall of the socket includes at least two upright tongues each fitting within a respective recess within the valve body bore, in bottom skirt of the body, thus the rotation of the socket relative to the valve body is prevented by the coupling between the tongues and the skirt recesses.
9. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 1, wherein the inlet of the socket is a conical inlet with a smaller diameter at an outer part of the socket and a larger diameter at the inner part of the socket, the movable disc defining two diametrically opposite bent openings in communication with the inlet of the socket via two diametrically opposite through orifices of the stationary disc, the through orifices communicating with the inlet of the socket.
10. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 9, wherein the opposite bent openings of the movable ceramic disc communicate with the stationary disc and are open at a peripheral side wall of the movable disc, these bent openings being in fluid communication with side outlets in the valve body.
11. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 10, wherein each bent opening of the ceramic movable disc has a 90° elbow-pipe configuration with a triangular shape in a face of the movable disc sliding against the stationary disc.
12. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 2, wherein the cartridge is fixed within a cartridge housing having said fluid supply outlet in fluid communication with a fluid outlet forming a 90°
relative to the fluid inlet, the cartridge is fixed by threading into the cartridge housing such that the sealing means located at the outer part of the socket seals against the cartridge housing, encircling said supply inlet, so as to prevent any leakage between the inlet of the socket and the cartridge housing.
13. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 12, wherein the outer sealing means comprises an O-ring arranged in an outer groove of the outer part of the socket, the pressure exerted on the outer sealing means by the mounting of the cartridge against the outlet of the fluid supply being transmitted to the valve body via the socket, without any pressure resulting from the connection of the cartridge to the fluid supply outlet being transmitted to the stationary and movable discs.
14. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 1, wherein the bore of the valve body defines an upper bore portion of a diameter smaller than the remainder of the bore, the spindle including upper sealing means at a portion thereof located in the upper bore portion and lower sealing means located at a portion of the remaining of the bore such that most of the spindle length within the bore is enclosed between the upper and lower sealing means, defining a large sealing grease-containing chamber.
15. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 14, wherein the bore includes rotational limit stops to limit the rotation of the spindle to about 90°, the limit stops being formed in the bore of the valve body, within said sealing chamber.
16. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 14, wherein the spindle defines two opposite cuts in a section thereof within said sealing chamber, the cuts defining a rectangular cross-section in the spindle, this cross section abutting against the limit stops for restricting the rotation of the spindle to said 90°.
17. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 14, wherein the spindle has an axial step slidably abutting against a step defined within said bore of the valve body to prevent the spindle to move upwardly out of the valve body, said step of the bore being defined at a joining between the upper bore portion and the remainder of the bore.
18. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 14, wherein the movable disc defines two diametrically opposite bent openings in communication with the inlet of the socket via two diametrically opposite through orifices of the stationary disc, the through orifices communicating with the inlet of the socket.
19. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 18, wherein the opposite bent openings of the movable ceramic disc communicate with the stationary disc and are open at a peripheral side wall of the movable disc, these bent openings being in fluid communication with side outlets in the valve body.
20. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 19, wherein each bent opening of the ceramic movable disc has a 90° elbow-pipe configuration with a triangular shape in a face of the movable disc sliding against the stationary disc.
21. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 14, wherein the cartridge is fixed within a cartridge housing having said fluid supply outlet in fluid communication with a fluid outlet forming a 90°
relative to the fluid inlet, the cartridge is fixed by threading into the cartridge housing such that the sealing means located at the outer part of the socket seals against the cartridge housing, encircling said supply inlet, so as to prevent any leakage between the inlet of the socket and the cartridge housing.
22. An improved replaceable ceramic disc valve according to claim 21, wherein the outer sealing means comprises an O-ring arranged in an outer groove of the outer part of the socket, the pressure exerted on the outer sealing means by the mounting of the cartridge against the outlet of the fluid supply being transmitted to the valve body via the socket, without any pressure resulting from the connection of the cartridge to the fluid supply outlet being transmitted to the stationary and movable discs.
CA 2255210 1997-12-05 1998-12-04 Improved replaceable ceramic disc valve Abandoned CA2255210A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AR970105754 1997-12-05
AR9705754 1997-12-05

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2255210A1 true CA2255210A1 (en) 1999-06-05

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CA 2255210 Abandoned CA2255210A1 (en) 1997-12-05 1998-12-04 Improved replaceable ceramic disc valve

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Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN102943888A (en) * 2012-11-23 2013-02-27 蔡江恩 Novel ceramic quick-opening and right-opening spool
CN106051195A (en) * 2016-08-16 2016-10-26 厦门市龙亚水阀有限公司 Gas spring type wear-resisting valve element
CN106870817A (en) * 2017-03-23 2017-06-20 龙云 A kind of ceramic quick-opened valve core and its production technology
CN114001169A (en) * 2021-10-20 2022-02-01 埃飞灵卫浴科技集团有限公司 Straight-through rotation angle valve
WO2023206740A1 (en) * 2022-04-27 2023-11-02 漳州松霖智能家居有限公司 Valve core, and water discharge device

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN102943888A (en) * 2012-11-23 2013-02-27 蔡江恩 Novel ceramic quick-opening and right-opening spool
CN106051195A (en) * 2016-08-16 2016-10-26 厦门市龙亚水阀有限公司 Gas spring type wear-resisting valve element
CN106870817A (en) * 2017-03-23 2017-06-20 龙云 A kind of ceramic quick-opened valve core and its production technology
CN114001169A (en) * 2021-10-20 2022-02-01 埃飞灵卫浴科技集团有限公司 Straight-through rotation angle valve
CN114001169B (en) * 2021-10-20 2024-02-02 埃飞灵卫浴科技集团有限公司 Straight-through rotary angle valve
WO2023206740A1 (en) * 2022-04-27 2023-11-02 漳州松霖智能家居有限公司 Valve core, and water discharge device

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