FR2808314A1 - Faucet has aligned inlet and outlet and part pivoting about perpendicular axis which in one position prevents, by means of joint, flow between inlet and outlet - Google Patents

Abstract

The faucet body which has an aligned inlet (52) and outlet (46) has a part (2) which pivots about an axis (16) perpendicular to the inlet/outlet. In a first position this part prevents the passage of fluid from the inlet to the outlet and in a second position allows this flow. The synthetic pivoting part has a lenticule part (8) intended to prevent, by using a joint (20), in its first position, any passage of fluid. An upper cylindrical part (10) provides connection with a control handle (30). A lower cylindrical part (12) guides the rotation of the rotating part and defines with the upper cylindrical part the pivoting axis of this part.

Description

The present invention relates to a tap intended to cut off a fluid stream to stop the flow.

Conventional taps use a sphere pivotally mounted in a body with respect to an axis perpendicular to the axis of a fluid stream. The sphere is provided with a bore which in a first position allows the passage of a fluid while in a second position, pivoted by 90 relative to the first position, it stops the flow of fluid. The seal at the level of the sphere is ensured by two seals on which the sphere pivots. The compression of the seals is ensured by a ball press nut glued into the valve body. The opening / closing control is done by means of a rod fitted with a seal, one end of which is housed in a groove in the sphere and the other end of which receives a grip, for example a handle, which also provides the stops in the fully open and closed position.

Such a valve has the advantage of ensuring complete passage of the fluid flow without generating a pressure drop thereof while having a reduced bulk.

However, the use of metallic materials, the large number of components, mounting axes and delicate assemblies complicate the manufacturing process and make the cost price of such a valve relatively high.

The present invention aims to reduce the cost price of a tap by simplifying it.

To this end, the tap which it offers is a tap comprising a body having an aligned inlet and outlet, in which is mounted a part pivoting about an axis perpendicular to the inlet / outlet axis and which, in a first position prevents the passage of a fluid from the inlet to the outlet and in a second position allows such a passage, According to the invention, the pivoting part is made of synthetic material and has a part intended to prevent, with the using at least one seal, in its first position, any passage of fluid, an upper cylindrical part intended for direct or indirect connection with a control member, a lower cylindrical part intended for guiding the rotary part in rotation and defining with the upper cylindrical part the pivot axis of this part.

The number of parts required to make such a valve is significantly reduced compared to a conventional valve. In addition, assembly is facilitated because the number of assemblies is reduced.

Such a valve is advantageously such that the body of the valve consists of two half-bodies having a joint plane which does not contain the pivot axis of the pivoting part. This embodiment allows even easier assembly of the tap. The joint plane is preferably inclined by 45 relative to the pivot axis and to the input / output axis. It is then possible to use a standard seal to achieve static sealing at this joint plane.

When the valve has a body made up of two half-bodies, to make the seal, a seal can be placed in the joint plane separating the two half-bodies and two metal rings ensuring, for example, that the two half-bodies are held in place and compression of the joint.

To further limit the number of parts of the valve, at least one seal is overmolded on the pivoting part to ensure the seal in the closed position of the valve.

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the part of the rotating part intended to prevent the flow of fluid has the form of a lenticle. The volume of synthetic material used is then limited, thereby reducing the cost price of the valve compared to a ball.

The lower cylindrical part of the rotating part is for example provided with a recess which cooperates with a lug produced in the tap body in order to limit the pivoting of the rotating part around its pivot axis.

The seal between the inside and the outside of the valve can be achieved by a seal which is overmolded on the upper cylindrical part in order to further limit the number of parts used.

In any case, the invention will be better understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended schematic drawing, representing by way of nonlimiting example a preferred embodiment of a tap according to the invention. Figure 1 is an exploded sectional view showing three main components of a valve according to the invention, and Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the valve of Figure 1 in the assembled position.

Figure 1 shows a rotating part 2, an upper half-body 4 and a lower half-body 6. The rotating part 2 has on the one hand a lenticle 8, and on the other hand an upper cylindrical part and a lower cylindrical part 12 defining a pivot axis for this rotating part 2. This assembly is a one-piece assembly made of polymer. This lenticular has a shape of a spherical cap. The axis 14 of this cap is perpendicular to the pivot axis 6 of the rotating part defined by the upper 10 and lower 12 cylindrical parts which are aligned.

The lenticular 8 has on its spherical outer surface a circular groove corresponding to an axis area 14. This groove 18 is overmolded with a rubber-like material in order to form a seal 20 on the lenticular.

The upper cylindrical part 10 is attached to the lenticular 18 by a tab 22. This upper cylindrical part 10 has at its base, that is to say near the tab 22, a first peripheral groove 24 also intended to be overmolded with rubber-like material to form a seal 26.

By moving away from the tab 22, the upper cylindrical part 10 has a second peripheral groove 28 intended to allow the latching of a control handle 30 shown in the drawing in phantom.

The lower cylindrical part 12 of the rotating part 2 is attached to the lenticle 8 by a tab 32.

This lower cylindrical part 12 has a notch 34 extending over a little more than 90 at the periphery of this lower cylindrical part 12.

The upper half-body 4 has a substantially hemispherical housing 36 intended to receive the rotating part 2. This upper i-body 4 has, around this hemispherical housing 36, in a joint plane 38, a peripheral groove 40 intended to receive a joint. This upper half-body also includes a bearing 44 opening into the hemispherical housing 36 intended to guide the upper cylindrical part 10 of the rotating part 2. It also comprises an outlet 46 for the fluid passing through the tap. The axes of the bearing 44 and of the outlet 46 are perpendicular to each other. Of course, the bearing 44 and the outlet 46 have a circular cylindrical tubular shape.

The lower half-body 6 also has a hemispherical housing 36, a joint plane 38 and a peripheral groove 40 placed in the joint plane 38 around the hemispherical housing 36. The two half-bodies 4 and 6 are such that, when 'They are assembled joint plane 38 against joint plane 38, the peripheral grooves 40 correspond in order to accommodate the seal 42 in the O-shaped groove thus formed. Due to the shape of this groove, a seal 42 is a standard seal ensuring a static seal.

The lower half-body 6 also includes a bearing 48 intended to receive the lower cylindrical part 12 of the rotating part 2. This bearing 48 is in fact a blind hole in which is disposed a lug 50 to cooperate with the notch 34 in order to limit the pivoting of the rotating part 2 to 90.

The lower half-body 6 also has a fluid inlet 52. When the lower half-body is placed on the upper half-body by making the grooves 40 correspond to each other to form a groove, the fluid inlet 52 is aligned with the fluid outlet 46 and the bearings 48 lower and 44 upper are aligned. The joint plane 38 is a plane perpendicular to the plane containing both the entry / exit axis and the axis defined by the bearings 44 and 48 and it is inclined at 45 relative to these two axes.

Figure 2 shows the valve in the assembled position. To make this assembly, the rotating part on which the overmoldings were made is placed in a half-body, then the static seal 42 is put in place and the lenticle 8 is enclosed in the spherical housing formed by the meeting two hemispherical housings 36. Each cylindrical part 10 and 12 of the rotating part is then in its corresponding bearing 44, 48.

Maintaining one against the other of the two half-bodies 4 and 6 is done using two metal rings 54 fitted in opposition during the assembly of the valve. These rings 54 are mounted coaxially with the rotating part 2. Each ring 54 has two radial lips extending inwards and forming a return on each face of the ring. A lip comes to marry the envelope of the half-bodies 4 and 6 while the other lip is snapped into a groove 56 produced on the half-body. In the mounted position shown in Figure 2, in the closed position, the spherical face of the lenticle 8 provides sealing, also thanks to the seal 20, between the upstream and downstream of the valve. The upper cylindrical part secured to the lenticle 8 acts as a control rod on which the handle 30 takes place. The seal 26 molded onto this upper cylindrical part 10 seals between the interior of the tap, and therefore the ide conveyed, and outside the tap or ambient environment. The lens 8 can pivot around the axis 16 of the rotating part 2 of 90. In this pivoting movement, the lens allows the passage of a fluid from the inlet 52 towards the outlet 46. In the pivoted position 90 relative to the closed position, the passage between the inlet and the outlet is completely open and the fluid can circulate freely. The lug 50 placed in the notch 34 limits the pivoting of the pivoting part 2 to 90.

As you can see, the number of parts for this tap is extremely small. It comprises a total of two half-bodies, a seal, two retaining rings and a control handle. In addition, the fitting of this tap is easy because the parts used are easy to assemble.

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiment described above by way of nonlimiting example; on the contrary, it embraces all of the variant embodiments thereof within the scope of the claims below.

Thus, for example, the middle part of the central part ensures the closing of the fluid inlet is not necessarily a lenticle. It could for example be a sphere in which a bore would have been produced. We would then find a classic spherical turning point. A different form is also possible to ensure the closure of the entrance.

The above embodiment provides for the production by molding two seals. Of course, it is possible to use non-overmolded seals for sealing at the level of the rotating part. The two bodies can be fixed to each other by any means. here uses two retaining rings but screws could very well also achieve the retaining between these two half-bodies.

The control member for the rotating part is an igneous mounted snap on it. Another form of control means can be envisaged and the attachment to the rotating part can be carried out by any means within the reach of those skilled in the art, for example by screwing, by keying, etc.

Claims (2)

1. Faucet comprising a body having an inlet (52) an outlet (46) aligned, in which is mounted a part (2) pivoting about an axis (16) perpendicular to the input / output axis and which, in the first position prevents the passage of a fluid from the inlet to the outlet and in a second position allows such a passage, characterized in that the pivoting part (2) is made of synthetic material and has a part (8) intended to prevent , with the help of at least seal (20), in its first position, any passage of fluid, upper cylindrical part (10) intended for direct or indirect connection with a control member (30), lower cylindrical part ( 12) intended for guiding rotation of the rotating part (2) and defining with the upper cylindrical part (10) the pivot axis (16) of this part. 2. Tap according to claim 1, characterized in that the tap body consists of two half-bodies (4, 6) having a joint plane (38) not containing the pivot axis of the pivoting part. Tap according to claim 2, characterized in that the joint plane (38) inclined by 45 relative to the pivot axis (16) and to the inlet / outlet axis. 4. Tap according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that a seal (42) is disposed in the joint plane (38) separating the two half-bodies in that two metal rings (54) provide the holding the two half-bodies (4, 6) and compressing the seal (42). Tap according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one seal (20) is molded onto the pivoting part to ensure the seal in the closed position of the tap. 6. Tap according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the part of the rotating part intended to prevent the flow of fluid has the form of a lenticle (8). 7. Tap according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the lower cylindrical part (12) of the rotating part is provided with a recess (34) which cooperates with a lug (50) produced in the body of the tap in order to limit the pivoting of the rotating part (2) around its pivot axis (16). 8. Tap according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the seal (26) is overmolded on the upper cylindrical part (10) in order to seal between the inside and the outside of the tap.