FI82760C - ADJUSTMENT FOR THE END OF AIR CONDITIONING DRIVEN AV EN ULTRALJUDSMOTOR. - Google Patents

Description

1 82760

Ultrasonic water tap control valve

The present invention relates to a water tap control valve in which the control member performs a rotational movement provided by an ultrasonic motor.

It is known to control water tap control valves and thermostat valves with electric motors and solenoids. The solenoids mainly control only the closed-open event, while instead the motor can control the valve to the desired extent and, for example, also the mixing valve with or without a thermostat.

For this purpose, either a DC motor has been used, which has a relatively wide adjustment range and is also easy to change direction; in addition, a stepper motor, for example, can be used. The disadvantage of the known motor-operated valves is e.g. relatively high engine speed and poor torque, which results in the use of a reduction gear with several gears in between. However, the inconvenience is the relatively large size of the engine.

It is also known from U.S. Patent 4,741,416 to control a shock absorber control valve with an ultrasonic motor, although the valve itself is not disclosed in the publication.

It is now an object of the present invention to obviate the disadvantages of the motor drives of known water tap control valves by applying the use of an ultrasonic motor known per se from said U.S. patent. To achieve this, the invention is characterized by what is set out in the appended claim 1.

In this context, it may be appropriate to briefly describe one principle of the ultrasonic motor. In the ultrasonic motor, the stationary part, which could be called a stator, is formed by a flexible elongate part, to the surface of which piezoelectric ceramic parts are successively fixed.

When an alternating voltage with a frequency in the ultrasonic range, for example 50-200 kHz, is applied to a body, that body is subjected to wave motion. If piezoelectric ceramic bodies are placed in two layers on top of each other and the pieces are shifted relative to each other, and an alternating voltage at different stages is applied to different layers, a propagating wave motion is generated in the body. When another movable body is placed on top of this body, and a friction-improving spacer is still placed between them, the movable body is subjected to a movement whose speed depends on the magnitude of the alternating voltage. The pieces can be arranged as rings, which creates a rotational movement, or straight, which creates a linear movement. Such a motor has excellent controllability, a relatively low speed, for example of the order of 500 rpm, and a good torque in relation to the size of the motor over the entire speed range.

Thus, according to the invention, the output shaft of the ultrasonic motor rotates the spindle of the control member through the gear. In this case, for example, the rotor of the ultrasonic motor can be provided with an internal gear ring and one or more gears rotatably mounted on the control valve body can be placed between said gear ring and the toothed stem of the valve member.

For example, with two similar motors, the mixer cold and hot water control valve can be controlled via a common control unit. The control unit then preferably receives its control instructions from a temperature sensor placed in the mixed water.

The invention and its other features and advantages are described in more detail below in the form of examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

II

3 82760 Fig. 1 shows a side view and a partial section of a water tap with a control valve according to the figure, Figs. 1a-1c show different embodiments of the water tap control valve according to Fig. 1, Fig. 2 shows an implementation of Fig. 1b on a larger scale, Fig. 2a shows a part of Fig. Fig. 3 shows a control valve according to the invention with also manual control, Fig. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the control motor compared to Fig. 1, Fig. 5 shows a section along the line AA in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 shows two control valves according to the invention used in a water mixing tap.

In Fig. 1, the body of the faucet is denoted by reference numeral 1, numeral 2 denotes a water inlet pipe and numeral 3 denotes a water outlet pipe.

In this case, the control element is a valve plate 4, which seals the inlet pipe 2 against the end surface. Due to the threaded fit, the rotational movement of the stem 5 causes the axial movement of the plate 4, i.e. the operation of the valve. A gear 6 is mounted on the spindle 5, which is rotated by a gear 7 mounted on the shaft of the ultrasonic motor 8.

Figures 1a-1c show slightly alternative implementations of the control valve, with Figure 1a corresponding to Figure 1 and Figures Ib and Ic differing from this with respect to the control member itself.

Figure 2 corresponds to Figure Ib, but is shown on a larger scale. Reference numeral 10 denotes the axis of the ultrasonic motor 8. The parts 12-17 which differ from Fig. 1 are as follows: 12 is a water flow space made curved at the upper surface. 13 is a movable or rotatable ceramic plate by means of a spindle 5, which cooperates with a fixed ceramic plate 14, 15 is an opening of the plate 13 and 16 is an opening of the plate 14. 17 is a sealing ring. The water inlet and outlet 4 82760 is adjusted in a manner known per se by turning the plate 13 (see also Fig. 2a).

Figure 3 shows a control valve according to the invention, in which the stem 5 of the valve member is further provided with a handle 18 for manual adjustment.

Figures 4 and 5 show a slightly alternative implementation. It has an ultrasonic motor 8 provided with a rotor with a toothed shaft 20. The motor is centrally located on the valve sleeve-like, internally toothed stem 5 so that the sleeve 5 surrounds the shaft 20. Vertical shafts 11 are mounted on the valve body on which the shaft 20 and stem are mounted. 5 gears 19 in contact with the teeth, whereby a reduction gear is created between the shaft 20 and the spindle 5.

Figure 6 shows a mixer with control valves according to the invention. Reference numeral 2a denotes a cold water inlet duct and reference numeral 2b denotes a hot water inlet duct. The amount of each water is controlled by a control valve made of ceramic plates and controlled by an ultrasonic motor 8. The motors 8 are connected to an electronic control unit 22, which in turn receives its control signal from a temperature sensor 21 located in the mixed water outlet pipe 3.

Claims (4)

1. A control valve for a water fixture, in which a control means (4; 13) performs a rotational movement effected by an ultrasonic motor (8), characterized in that the output shaft (10; 20) of the ultrasonic motor (8) is via a gear (7). , 6; 19. causes the control member spindle (5) to rotate and the control member to be a valve plate (4) or a ceramic disc (13). Control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that the toothed axis (20) of the ultrasonic motor (8) is centrally placed in a sleeve-like, internally toothed spindle (5) and between the axis of the rotor (20) and the spindle (5), gears (19) stored in the valve body. 3. A control valve according to claim 2, characterized in that three gears (19) are arranged between the rotor shaft (20) and the spindle (5) of the control means. Control valve according to claim 1, characterized in that it, together with another similar control valve, is included in a coolant and hot water mixer and that a control unit (22) connected to the motors (8) controls the motors on the basis of a temperature sensor (21) located in the mixed water senses the temperature.