FR2654174A1 - CARTRIDGE FOR A HANDLE MIXING TAP WITH CONNECTING CONDUITS REINFORCED BY ELASTIC MEANS. - Google Patents

Abstract

A cartridge for a mixing valve having a control handle (30) mounted on a pivot ball (27) in which the compressive sealing force between the water lines of the cartridge (9) and the lines of corresponding water from the body (1) of the tap is provided by tubes (33) of elastic material constituting the seal and placed in counter-bores (14, 15) of passages (11, 12) of the water in the base ( 10) of the cartridge. The tubes (33) protrude from the counter-bores of the cartridge to abut against the end (3) of a cavity (2) in the body (1) of the valve. The counter-bore (14; 15) receives also a spring means (36) to provide the compressive force for the seals and the cartridge. In addition, the hydraulic pressure in the counter-bores exerts a certain force against the bottom of the cartridge against the valve body.

Description

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  The present invention relates to a cartridge for a mixing valve comprising a control handle moving around a pivot point in which the sealing force between the water pipes of the cartridge and the corresponding water pipes coming from the valve body is obtained by elements

  tubular which have an elastic spring element.

  In conventional taps with a handle which have cartridges housed in the body cavity, the cold and hot water supply passages formed in the metal base of the tap form an elongated counterbore for the passage of the water in the direction of the cavity containing the cartridge A tubular elastomeric sealing element and a biasing spring are inserted in the counter bore This element can be elongated and resemble a tube The tube exerts a radial force on the walls of the counter bore containing it, and is biased by the spring to protrude from the counterbore above the surface of the base wall of the cavity formed in the body With this construction, when the cartridge containing the valve mechanism for the control flow is inserted into the valve body cavity, the elastomeric tubes protruding from the respective counterbores in the base of the valve rps are held in place by a surface in abutment before the base of the cartridge around the inlets of this same cartridge The value of the displacement allowed for the rubber tubes stressed by the spring is sufficient to compensate for the predicted variations in the distance between the base of the cartridge and the base of the valve body as a result of either manufacturing tolerances or changes in the dimensions of the

  parts due to thermal expansion.

  Mixing valves of conventional construction have certain disadvantages First of all,

  the valve requires precise formation of counter

  bores created in the base of the body to receive the

  rubber tubes for the placement of the cartridge.

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  While the formation of the outline of this base is not difficult, the cylindrical walls of the counter bores must undergo a finishing operation made with precision to ensure the radial sealing of the rubber tubes. This finishing operation can be difficult on the technical plan and be expensive Secondly, the assembly of the rubber tubes and the springs in the counter-bores is a delicate and difficult operation, because the counter-bores are located at the base of the valve body cavity and by Consequently, there is poor accessibility for easy installation of the springs and rubber tubes. The subsequent repair and replacement of the rubber tubes.

  rubber are also difficult operations.

  There is therefore a need for a mixing valve having a cartridge and eliminating the need for difficult and expensive work, all the difficulties of assembly, disassembly and inspection of the sealing elements of the

  classic cartridge mixing valves.

  According to the present invention, a water passage

  formed in the base of the cartridge has a counter

  bore which opens towards the external surface of the base of the cartridge A tubular elastomeric sealing element is placed in the counterbore of the cartridge and held in place so as to protrude from the bottom of the cartridge to abut against said end of the

  cavity in the valve body.

  The base of the cavity formed by the metallic body of the tap to house the cartridge requires only a smooth machining operation which can easily be carried out. The tubular sealing element contained in the counterbore of the base of the cartridge stops. at the front against the smooth surface of the base of the valve body while the cartridge is inserted into the pre-formed cavity in the valve body The work carried out on the counter-bores for the tubes placed in the base of the cartridge does not present any difficulty because of the immediate accessibility to these In addition,

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  an additional step is generally not even necessary because the cartridge is made of a material

  plastic and can be molded in one piece with the counter

  bores The counter-bores are easily accessible at the end of the cartridge when it comes out of the cavity, which makes it extremely easy any subsequent operation of insertion or disassembly of the tubular elastomeric sealing elements In addition, each once the cartridge is removed from the valve body, the tubular elements protrude from the counter bores and can be easily inspected even if not

do not remove counterbores.

  In the application of the present invention, tubular elastomeric sealing elements which are generally used in mixing valves can be used. The elastomeric sealing elements have a tubular body with a limited end which defines a shoulder for abutting with the end of a helical spring inserted in the tubular body It is also possible to use a tubular elastomer body which provides its own biasing force of sufficient intensity to ensure the elasticity by which the compression is ensured In this case, the

  spring which loads the seals consists of the seals themselves

  In addition, it is possible to give the elastomeric sealing elements a shape such that the pressure of the water passing through them tends to deform them and cause them to be pressed against the body of the valve.

  with enough force to create an effective joint.

  As a variant, it is possible to constitute a tubular sealing element with a sufficiently rigid material and to add deformable O-rings to it tending to seal the counter-bores in the cartridge radially and to be in abutment before with the base of the body cavity of the tap The elastic element to stress the sealing element can be a helical spring or consist of an elastic elastomer coupler In the latter case, the coupler can be

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  designed so that the pressure of the water inside it tends to deform it, advantageously increasing the stressing pressure which is applied to the sealing element and provides the frontal compression force sealing acting against

the end of the cavity.

  The present invention will be well understood when

  of the following description made in conjunction with

  attached drawings in which: Figure 1 is a segmented view of a valve body enclosing a cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of an elastomeric seal shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the fixed plate shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a partial and segmented view of the lower part of the valve body, showing a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 is a partial and segmented view of the lower part of the valve body, showing a third embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 is a partial and segmented view of the lower part of the valve body, showing a fourth embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 7 is a partial and segmented view of the lower part of the valve body, representing

  a fifth embodiment of the invention.

  As shown in Figure 1, the valve has a metal body 1, inside which is provided a cavity or chamber 2 to enclose a cartridge Passages 4 and 5 for the supply of hot and cold water are provided in the body 1 and have ends in the base 3 of the chamber 2 An annular chamber 6 is placed so as to receive the mixed water coming from the cartridge and to guide it

  up to a spout (not shown) as is conventional.

  The body 1 is closed by a screw cap 8 which abuts against

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  him and makes it waterproof by means of an O-ring

elastic 7.

  The cartridge comprises a head housing 9 with a base 10 and passages 11 and 12 for the entry of hot and cold water A passage 13 serves as an outlet for the mixed water coming from the housing 9 of the cartridge and going to the annular chamber 6 A fixed plate 16 of hard material such as rigid plastic or ceramic is mounted in the interior of the base 10 of the cartridge and is fixed by a screw 21 A seal 22 is placed below of the plate 16 in compression The fixed plate 16 has its lower passages 17 and 19 for the entry of cold water and hot water in alignment with the passages 11 and 12 of the base l OA their upper level, the passages 17 and 19 lead to cavities 18 and 20, respectively, for the distribution of water in cooperation with a movable plate 23 of hard material The plate 23 is located above the fixed plate 16 and can be moved by translation and rotation by means of a guide 24 in a rotary drive ring 25 between certain limits defined by the housing 9 A lower half-bearing 26 connected to the housing 9 is supported against the cap 8 of the body 1 and forms a half-seat for a pivoting ball 27 From the ball 27 extend an inner arm 28 which works against the guide 24 and an outer arm 29 which is connected to a control handle 30 The seat for the ball 27 is completed by an upper half-bearing 31 mounted in the cap 8 of the valve body which exerts a compressive force by means of a seal 32 sealing the

half bearing 26 and ball 27.

  The bidirectional control handle 30 allows the movement of the guide 24 which causes the translational and rotational movement of the movable plate 23, hence the selective opening of the cavities 18 and 20 of the fixed plate 16 in different proportions and the possibility of passing various quantities and certain proportions of cold and hot water, the mixture then leaving the tap In this way, we obtain the

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  control of the flow of mixed water and the proportion of

  mixture between cold and hot water.

  The structure of the valve and of the cartridge that is described and illustrated here should only be considered in terms of explaining the possibility of applying the invention, which is in no way limited to the shape of the valve. or of the cartridge thus described. On the contrary, the invention can apply in general to any cartridge for a mixing valve of the type in which the compressive force for sealing between the passage of the water conduits in the cartridge and the corresponding conduits in the valve body is provided by sealing elements and spring loaded biasing means. In the application of the present invention, counterbores 14 and 15 are located in the base 10 of the housing 9 of the cartridge which correspond to the inlet passages 11 and 12 for hot and cold water when the cartridge is inserted into cavity 2 above the

  feed passages 4 and 5 of the body 1 In the counter

  bores 14 and 15, a sealing element 33 is coupled to a spiral metal spring 36 The element 33 is made of elastomeric material and has a tubular shape which is

  limited to the lower end, forming a shoulder 34.

  The spring 36 is compressed between the shoulder 34 of the element 33 and the upper base of the counter-bores 14 and 15 and consequently biases the element 33 towards the surface 3 of the cavity. The counter-bores 14 and 15, the spring 36 and the element 33 are dimensioned so that, at rest, the lower shoulder 34 of the sealing element 33 is axially projecting from the base 10 of the cartridge As shown in FIG. 2, the element 33 has a ring rib 35 which in its mounting state shown in Figure 1 becomes imperceptible because it compressed against the wall of the counterbore 10, 11 The rib 35 abuts by friction against the side walls

  counter bores 14 and 15 and creates a seal with them.

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  When the cartridge 9-26 is inserted into the cavity 2 of the body of the valve, the element 33 has its lower end 34 in sealed abutment with the surface 3 of the lower end of the cavity 2 which is aligned around the passages 4 and 5 and biased by the respective springs 36 In this way, the passage 4 of the body 1 is fluidly connected to the passage 11 of the base 10 of the cartridge, and the passage 5 of the body 1 is fluidly connected to the passage 12 of the base 10 of the cartridge, the sealing elements 33 preventing leaks laterally to the outside of the passages 4, 5 and 10, ll. At the same time, the force of the spring 36, in addition to the

  hydraulic pressure acting in the base 10 of the counter

  bores 14 and 15, urges the entire cartridge against the cover 8, maintaining a compression pressure on its components including the fixed plate 16 and the

movable plate 23.

  It will be noted that it is not necessary for the spring 36 to exert a high force, but that it must simply provide a suitable compression force for the sealing elements 33 in the absence of pressure acting against the lower surface 3 of the cavity 2 When there is supply of the water pressure, this partially acts on the sealing elements 33 on precisely an area equal to the difference between the maximum cross-sectional area of the element seal and the surface of the shoulder opening 34 The resulting force is added to the biasing force of the spring in such a way that the compressive force increases on the end 3 of the cavity 2 on an equal basis with increasing pressure and this has the effect that the total net force

is suitable at all times.

  It will be immediately noted by observing FIG. 1 that the construction of the present invention satisfies the problems raised by the prior art. In fact, the end 3 of the chamber 2 of the body 1 of the tap requires nothing more than a simple operation of '' smooth machining Counter-bores 14 and 15 are

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  easily trained and are immediately accessible when

  the cartridge is not inserted into the valve cavity.

  The assembly and disassembly of the sealing elements 33 and of the springs 34 in the counter-bores 14 and 15 of the base 10 of the cartridge are extremely easy when the latter is removed from the body 1 of the tap. In addition, the sections 34 shoulder elements 33 can be inspected when the cartridge is removed from the cavity 2 and can be easily replaced, if necessary, in

  the respective counterbores 14 and 15.

  Figure 4 depicts a sealing member 37 which is constructed for the purpose of removing the spring 36

  shown in Figure 1 which is associated with element 33.

  The element 37 is made of elastic material and extends to the end of the respective counterbore situated in the base 10 of the cartridge. It has sufficient elasticity to produce the stressing force necessary for the frontal compression against the end 3 of the cavity 2 containing the cartridge Element 37 extends to the end of the counterbore formed in the base of the cartridge, and when subjected to compression, ensures a seal not only to the front against the base of the counterbore but also in the direction

  radial against the cylindrical walls thereof.

  Figure 4 shows how it is possible to have a sealing element 37 which penetrates the cavities presented by the base 3 of the chamber 2 in order to avoid accidental rotation of the cartridge. The counter-bore in the end 3 of the base does not entail a significant additional cost because this counterbore receiving the element 37 does not require any precision in its diameter or in its interfaces, nor does it require a precision of its peripheral walls, but must simply have a smooth front base In the case where the rigidity of the elastic material of the element is not sufficient to prevent rotation of the cartridge, it is possible to form an extension of the cartridge from the flanges surrounding the elements 37 for the

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  partially receive in the base 3 counterbores of

cavity 2.

  According to FIG. 5, elastic elements 38 act, in principle, like those of FIG. 4, with the additional characteristic that their walls are curved in the direction of their interior. The hydraulic pressure which stabilizes in element 38 causes bending. radial of the arcuate parts of its walls, producing a force which tends to lengthen its distance between the base 10 of the cartridge and the base 3 of the cavity 2 In this way, the elastic force is advantageously increased to stabilize the compression force front between the elements 37, the base 10 and the end 3 of the body 1. FIG. 6 shows how the elastic elements 33 of FIG. 1 can be replaced by tubes 43 of substantially rigid material comprising O-rings in elastic elastomer Un O-ring 44 is placed frontally so as to stabilize the tension with the base 3 of the chamber 2 containing the cartridge, and an O-ring e 45 is placed peripherally so as to create a seal with respect to the cylindrical walls of the counter-bores 14 or 15 The stressing force loading the tube 43 is provided by a spiral metal spring 36, like that of

figure 1.

  Cases such as those described here, in which the tubular sealing elements are made of substantially rigid materials are more particularly suitable for preventing rotation

  accidental cartridge, entering the counter

  bore of end 3 of chamber 2 as shown

in figure 4.

  The metal helical spring 36 of FIG. 6 can be replaced by an elastic elastomer tube which works, from the point of view of its elasticity, in a manner analogous to the element 37 of FIG. 4 The tube can have its curved walls inward, as

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  illustrated in 46 of FIG. 7, and the hydraulic pressure acting on the inside of the tubes 46 causes the arc-shaped part to bend towards the inside of these walls in the radial direction from the outside, hence production of a force which tends to urge the base 10 of the cartridge to move it away from the base 3 of the cavity 2 In this way, the elastic force is advantageously increased, which ensures the frontal compression force of the tube to urge the cartridge and ensure a seal

suitable.

  It has been indicated that the hydraulic pressure applied to the device of the present invention exerts a useful thrust on the cartridge to maintain its

  internal parts in contact under suitable pressure.

  Unlike the previous embodiments which incorporate this principle, the present invention achieves this effect without requiring the costly work necessary to

  finish of the cavity in the body.

  If the embodiments illustrated have provided only two passages for the entry of cold water and hot water into the base 10 of the cartridge and the end 3 of the valve body, while the water of the mixture leaves the tap without returning to the base 10 and at the end 3, it must be recognized that the present invention also applies to the case where there is also in the base one or more return passages for the outlet of the mixture In addition, in cases where the tubular sealing elements are predisposed so as to exert a frontal biasing force, whether on the valve body or on the cartridge (as is the case in FIGS. 4 and 5 ), the counter-bores provided in the base of the cartridge can extend through the fixed plate, and the sealing elements could then be produced so as to press directly against the lower surface of the fixed plate, avoiding have to insert a gasket ours

  the fixed plate and the base of the cartridge.

  The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments which have just been described, it is on the contrary subject to modifications and

  variants which will appear to those skilled in the art.

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Claims (7)

  1 Cartridge (9-26) for mixing tap having a control handle moving around a pivot point, in which the water passages (11, 12) inside the cartridge and the corresponding passages (4, 5) for the water inside the body (1) of the tap are in alignment and sealed against each other, respectively, by tubular connecting elements which are stressed by elastic means, characterized in that: the water passages inside the base of the cartridge comprise a counterbore (14; 15) which opens onto the outer surface of the base of the cartridge, and in that the counterbores contain a tubular connection element (33) reinforced by an elastic means (36) so as to be somewhat projecting with respect to the cartridge and able to be in front stop against a surface of the body.   2 Cartridge according to claim 1, further characterized in that the tubular element consists of an elastic elastomer and defines a tubular body with a limited end (34) defining a shoulder to come into abutment of support with a helical spring ( 36) inserted into the interior of the tubular body and constituting the elastic means which loads   the tubular member against the surface of the body.   3 Cartridge according to claim 1, further characterized in that the tubular member of elastic elastomer (33) extends to the base of the respective counter bores (14, 15) and has sufficient elasticity by itself to ensure an elastic stress thanks to which a compressive force is obtained, constituting in this way an elastic means to load the tubular element.   4 Cartridge according to claim 3, further characterized in that the resilient tubular member (38) consists of arcuate walls directed inwardly and toward themselves in a manner 13 2654174   such that the pressure of the water passing through them bends the walls radially outwards and increases the elastic force between the cartridge and the valve body mixture.   5 Cartridge according to claim 2, further characterized in that the tubular member (43; 46) is made of a substantially rigid material with an elastomer ring (45) interposed radially between it and the counterbore and a second elastomer ring (44) at the projecting end of the tube, and is mounted so as to   be in tight abutment with the surface of the body.   6 Cartridge according to claim 1, further characterized in that the tubular member is made of a substantially rigid material with a ring   made of elastomer radially interposed between it and the counter   bore and a second elastomer ring is placed at the projecting end of the tube and mounted so as to be   in tight abutment with the surface of the body.   7 cartridge according to claim 6, further characterized in that the elastic means comprises a sleeve of elastomeric material, interposed axially between the inner end of the tube and the end interior of the counter bore.