GB1569719A

GB1569719A - Fluid flow mixing devices

Info

Publication number: GB1569719A
Application number: GB174877A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: BARKING GROHE Ltd
Current assignee: BARKING GROHE Ltd
Priority date: 1977-01-17
Filing date: 1977-01-17
Publication date: 1980-06-18

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO FLUID FLOW MIXING DEVICES (71) We, BARKING-GROHE LIMITED,.

formerly known as BARKING BRASSWARE COMPANY LIMITED, a British Company, of 5-13 River Road, Barking, Essex, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to mixing apparatus capable of mixing fluids from sources of different pressures and has particular reference to apparatus for mixing hot and cold water.

Apparatus for mixing-hot and cold water from sources of different pressures is known.

One form of such apparatus has an outlet member comprising substantially-coextensive, coaxial tubes arranged one inside the other. The inner tube is joined to one source and the space between the tubes is joined to the other source. In this way, water from one source does not come into contact with water from the other source until the water has left the apparatus.

Where one of the water sources is. the mains water supply, the risk of contamination of that supply by water from the other source is very much reduced. However, the fact that the outlet member consists of the coaxial tubes places some restriction on the shape of the outlet member and also makes the member costly to produce.

It has also been proposed to cast the outlet member in one piece in such manner as to provide two internal passageways separated by an internal partition. This known 'D' sectioned method of fabricating the outlet member removes the restrictions on the shape of the outlet member, but it usually means that the hot and cold water does not mix so readilv when it leaves the mixer as is the case when the outlet member consists of coaxial tubes disposed d one inside the other.

According to the present invention a hot and cold water mixer fitting comprises - a body having a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet leading to separate internal flow paths for hot and cold water respectively, an outlet spout extending from the body and having separate internal flow passages defined by a partition extending substantially the entire length of the spout, one of the internal passages communicating with the hot water flow path only and the other communicating with the cold water flow path only, the internal passages having water exit apertures, and the outlet - spout including a separate tubular outlet member which is disposed with clearance in one of the exit apertures and extends into seating engagement with the other exit aperture.

The said other exit aperture may be formed in the. partition.

The body may be apertured to receive one end of the outlet spout.. That wend may be joined to an end fitting mounted in the body aperture and having two separate non- communicating passages of which one interconnects one of the flow passages in the spout with the hot-water flow path and the other of which interconnects the -other-of the flow passages in the spout with the cold water flow path.

The-end fitting may be rotatably mounted in the body and may be of generally tubu-- lar form seating on a partition formed ineternally of the body.

By way of example only, apparatus for mixing hot and cold water will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus partly in section, and, Figs. 2 and 3 are sections along the lines II-II and III-III respectively in Fig. 1. - The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 is a - siiik mixer having a body 1 whose lower surface 2 is flat to enable the mixer to seat on a flat surface. A resilient seating gasket 3 is located adjacent the surface 2.

At its extremities, the body 1 is formed to receive control taps 4, 5 which control the flow of hot and cold- water, respectively, into. the body via connecting pipes 6, 7 fitted with lock nuts 8, 9 by means of which the fitting is secured in position.

Midway of its ends, the body has an internal partition 10 which divides the internal waterway 11 body into two parts. The partition 10 has a central shallow recess 12 which forms a seating surface and which is circular when seen in plan and has a central aperture 13. Adjacent the partition 10, the body 1 has an externaI boss 14 apertured to receive an outlet member described below.

Seated in the recess 12 is the lower end of an end fitting 15 of general tubular form.

Extending through the fitting 15 is a first passageway 16 disposed eccentrically with respect to the axis of the fitting. The passageway 16 is open-ended and communicates via the aperture 13 with one only of the parts of the waterway 11. The fitting 15 also has a second passageway 17 which is closed at its lower end and is of crescentshaped cris-section transverse to the length of the fitting 15 and thus partly surrounds the passageway 16. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the curved wall of passageway 17 has an aperture 18 through which the passageway communicates with the other part only of the waterway 11.

The passageway 16 extends beyond the passageway 17 at the upper end of the fitting 15 and projects into an internal passage 19 of an outlet spout 20. One end of the outlet spout 20 seats on the upper end of the end fitting 15 and has another internal passage 21 which communicates with passageway 17 in fitting 15. '0' rings 22 located in peripheral grooves in the fitting 15 prevent leakage between the fitting, the boss 14 and the passages 19 and 21. The lower end of the outlet spout 20 is held in position against the upper end of the boss 14 by a ring clip 23. Other fixing means may be adopted in place of the spring clip 23, for example the spout may be held in position by a screw or pin locating in a groove in the boss 14 or by a ball type fixing.

The outlet spout 20 is of one-piece cast construction and seats at one end on the boss 14 and is formed with an outlet at its other end. The outlet comprises an opening 24 in the underneath surface of the spout and, centrally located with clearance in the opening 24, a short length of cylindrical tube 25 whose inner end seats in an opening in an internal wall 26 which separates passage 19 from passage 21. The inner end of tube 25 is secured to the wall 26 in some suitable way.

To install the mixer, the connection pipes S and 7 are joined to cold and hot supply pipes respectively and the mixer is locked in position on a sink or basin by means of the nuts 8 and 9. Water is admitted to the mixer by operating the taps 4 and/or 5.

In use, hot water entering the mixer via connection pipe 6 flows via aperture 18, passageway 17 and passage 21 to the tube 25.

Cold water enters via connection pipe 7 and flows via aperture 13, passageway 16, and passage 19 to the opening 24. Coaxial streams of water leave the fitting and, in the arrangement just described, the central core of hot water is shrouded by a sheath of cold water. In that way, a user is prevented from inadvertant contact with hot water. It is, of course, true that within the spout itself the flow of hot water is not shrouded by the cold supply.

Alternatively, the hot and cold water connections can be reversed in which case cold water flows through passage 21-the uppermost of the two passages in the spout -and this may be more acceptable to a user. In this instance the hot water would be delivered on the outside of the cold water as the supplies leave the mixer.

As will be appreciated, the outlet spout 20 can be swivelled by a user to alter the location of water discharge.

The shape and cross section can be or any desired form within the normal limits of casting techniques. It is, moreover, not necessary that the internal partition in the outlet spout be horizontal as in the embodiment described above. The partition could be substantially vertical but in this case it is necessary to use an angled tube in place of the straight tube 25.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: - 1. A hot and cold water mixer fitting comprising a body having a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet leading to separate internal flow paths for hot and cold water respectively, an outlet spout extending from the body and having separate internal flow passages defined by a partition extending substantially the entire length of the spout, one of the internal passages communicating with the hot water flow path only and the other communicating with the cold water flow path only, the internal passages having water exit apertures, and the outlet spout including a separate tubular outlet member which is disposed with clearance in one of the exit apertures and extends into seating engagement with the other exit aperture.

2. A fitting as claimed in claim 1, in which the said other exit aperture is formed in the partition.

3. A fitting as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the body is apertured and in which one end of the outlet spout is mounted on the body aperture.

4. A fitting as claimed in claim 3, in

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. 6, 7 fitted with lock nuts 8, 9 by means of which the fitting is secured in position. Midway of its ends, the body has an internal partition 10 which divides the internal waterway 11 body into two parts. The partition 10 has a central shallow recess 12 which forms a seating surface and which is circular when seen in plan and has a central aperture 13. Adjacent the partition 10, the body 1 has an externaI boss 14 apertured to receive an outlet member described below. Seated in the recess 12 is the lower end of an end fitting 15 of general tubular form. Extending through the fitting 15 is a first passageway 16 disposed eccentrically with respect to the axis of the fitting. The passageway 16 is open-ended and communicates via the aperture 13 with one only of the parts of the waterway 11. The fitting 15 also has a second passageway 17 which is closed at its lower end and is of crescentshaped cris-section transverse to the length of the fitting 15 and thus partly surrounds the passageway 16. As can be seen from Fig. 1, the curved wall of passageway 17 has an aperture 18 through which the passageway communicates with the other part only of the waterway 11. The passageway 16 extends beyond the passageway 17 at the upper end of the fitting 15 and projects into an internal passage 19 of an outlet spout 20. One end of the outlet spout 20 seats on the upper end of the end fitting 15 and has another internal passage 21 which communicates with passageway 17 in fitting 15. '0' rings 22 located in peripheral grooves in the fitting 15 prevent leakage between the fitting, the boss 14 and the passages 19 and 21. The lower end of the outlet spout 20 is held in position against the upper end of the boss 14 by a ring clip 23. Other fixing means may be adopted in place of the spring clip 23, for example the spout may be held in position by a screw or pin locating in a groove in the boss 14 or by a ball type fixing. The outlet spout 20 is of one-piece cast construction and seats at one end on the boss 14 and is formed with an outlet at its other end. The outlet comprises an opening 24 in the underneath surface of the spout and, centrally located with clearance in the opening 24, a short length of cylindrical tube 25 whose inner end seats in an opening in an internal wall 26 which separates passage 19 from passage 21. The inner end of tube 25 is secured to the wall 26 in some suitable way. To install the mixer, the connection pipes S and 7 are joined to cold and hot supply pipes respectively and the mixer is locked in position on a sink or basin by means of the nuts 8 and 9. Water is admitted to the mixer by operating the taps 4 and/or 5. In use, hot water entering the mixer via connection pipe 6 flows via aperture 18, passageway 17 and passage 21 to the tube 25. Cold water enters via connection pipe 7 and flows via aperture 13, passageway 16, and passage 19 to the opening 24. Coaxial streams of water leave the fitting and, in the arrangement just described, the central core of hot water is shrouded by a sheath of cold water. In that way, a user is prevented from inadvertant contact with hot water. It is, of course, true that within the spout itself the flow of hot water is not shrouded by the cold supply. Alternatively, the hot and cold water connections can be reversed in which case cold water flows through passage 21-the uppermost of the two passages in the spout -and this may be more acceptable to a user. In this instance the hot water would be delivered on the outside of the cold water as the supplies leave the mixer. As will be appreciated, the outlet spout 20 can be swivelled by a user to alter the location of water discharge. The shape and cross section can be or any desired form within the normal limits of casting techniques. It is, moreover, not necessary that the internal partition in the outlet spout be horizontal as in the embodiment described above. The partition could be substantially vertical but in this case it is necessary to use an angled tube in place of the straight tube 25. WHAT WE CLAIM IS: -

1. A hot and cold water mixer fitting comprising a body having a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet leading to separate internal flow paths for hot and cold water respectively, an outlet spout extending from the body and having separate internal flow passages defined by a partition extending substantially the entire length of the spout, one of the internal passages communicating with the hot water flow path only and the other communicating with the cold water flow path only, the internal passages having water exit apertures, and the outlet spout including a separate tubular outlet member which is disposed with clearance in one of the exit apertures and extends into seating engagement with the other exit aperture.

4. A fitting as claimed in claim 3, in

which the one end of the outlet spout is joined to an end fitting mounted in the body aperture and having two separate noncommunicating passages of which one interconnects one of the flow passages in the spout with the hot water flow path and the other of which interconnects the other of the flow passages in the spout with the cold water flow path.

5. A fitting as claimed in claim 4, in which the end fitting is rotatably mounted in the body.

6. A fitting as claimed in claim 5, in which the end fitting is of generally tubular form and seats on a partition formed internally of the body.

7. A fitting as claimed in claim 6, in which the partition formed internally of the body separates the hot water flow path from the cold water flow path.

8. A mixer fitting substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

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