GB2221745A

GB2221745A - Mixer tap valve

Info

Publication number: GB2221745A
Application number: GB8819189A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roland Grassberger
Original assignee: Masco Corp Ltd
Current assignee: Masco Corp Ltd
Priority date: 1988-08-12
Filing date: 1988-08-12
Publication date: 1990-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 2008-08-12
Also published as: GB8819189D0; GB2221745B

Abstract

A valve for controlling the flow of liquids, includes a ball-like valve plug (30) received in a recess formed in a valve body (12). The valve plug (30) has first and second passages therethrough (36 and 38) separated by a liquid-tight wall (34). By moving the valve plug by means of an operating lever (32) the first and second passages (36 and 38) may connect first and/or second inlet and outlet ports (15, 17, 19, 21) to control the temperature and flow rate in a mixer tap. The flow paths of hot and cold water through the valve are kept entirely separate as required by water supply regulations, without using ceramic discs. The valve plug (30) is pivoted about a horizontal axis by moving lever (32) along a slot in a pivotable plate (42) and such pivoting controls the flow of hot and cold water to outlets (20, 16). The ratio of hot : cold water is controlled by pivoting the lever about its axis when lever (32) is perpendicular to plate (42). <IMAGE>

Description

MIXER TAP VALVE The present invention relates to mixer taps, in particular, to mixer taps in which a single actuating means is operable to control both the rate of flow through the tap and the temperature of the water at the outlet.

Some known taps of this kind use a control member or valve plug in the form of a ball or sphere which can be rotated about two different axes to control the rate and temperature of the water flow, the spherical surface of the ball covering and uncovering inlet and outlet ports formed in the valve body as it is moved.

Hitherto, it has not been possible to use this type of valve arrangement in taps sold for kitchen use in the United Kingdom because water supply regulations require the hot and cold water supplies to be kept quite separate until they reach the tap outlet nozzle. This has not been possible using ball-valve type taps and single control mixer taps used in the United Kingdom have, therefore, generally been of the type utilizing a cartridge of ceramic discs which slide over one another to control the water flow. It has been found that ceramic disc taps suffer from the disadvantage that they become progressively stiffer and more difficult to operate with time.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a valve for controlling the flow of liquids, the valve comprising a ball-like valve plug which, in use, is received in a recess formed in a valve body with which it co-operates to control the flow of liquid through the valve; the valve body having first and second inlet ports and first and second outlet ports and the valve plug having first and second passages extending therethrough; the valve plug being movable into and out of positions in which the first passage connects the first inlet and outlet ports and/or the second passage connects the second inlet and outlet ports respectively; the first and second passages being separated from one another by a liquid impermeable wall so that the valve is capable of providing two separate liquid flow paths.

This construction has the advantage that a single actuating means may be provided to control both the flow rate and the temperature of the water supplied, while complying with United Kingdom water supply regulations and avoiding the use of either ceramic discs or complex linkages.

A mixer tap in accordance with the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a section through a tap valve in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the ball-shaped valve plug of the valve of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded view of the valve plug and guide plate of the tap valve of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a part sectional view of the separating seal of the valve of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows an alternative arrangement of inlet ports for use in the tape valve of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a sectional view of a modified tap valve in accordance with the invention; Figure 7 is a perspective view of the ball-shaped valve plug of the valve of Figure 6; and Figure 8 illustrates variationS in the shape of the hot water inlet openings.

As shown in Figure 1, a mixer tap valve 10 comprises a valve body 12 in which are formed four inlet and outlet passages 14, 16, 18, 20 for the flow of water into and out of the valve 10, and a ballshaped valve plug 30.

The valve body 12 is typically of metal and generally cup-like in shape, defining a central recess 13 in which the valve plug 30 is received. The lowermost part of the recess 13 is of spherical configuration so that it fits closely around the valve plug 30. The valve plug 30 is held in place by a threaded retaining ring 40 which screws into a threaded opening at the open end of the central recess 13 in the tap body 12. A guide plate 42 is trapped between the retaining ring 40 and the valve plug 12. The function of the guide plate 42 will be described in greater detail below.

As can be seen more clearly from Figure 2, the valve plug 30 is in the form of a hollow sphere which can be moved by means of an operating lever 32 which projects out of the valve body 12 through openings in the guide plate 42 and the retaining ring 40. The interior of the sphere 30 is divided into two separate chambers 36 and 38 by means of a metal disc 34 which is fixed and sealed to the inside of the sphere 30 around its entire periphery by welding.

Water cannot therefore flow around the disc 34 between the two chambers 36 and 38. Alternatively the sphere can be manufactured from two or more plastic pieces welded together.

The larger chamber 36 adjacent the operating lever 32 is provided with separate inlet and outlet openings 35 and 37 for the flow of hot water. The inlet opening 35 is, in fact, a plurality of small openings separated by a series of narrow bars. Various possible shapes for these openings are shown in Figure 8 of the drawings.

This arrangement is adopted because, although it is desirable that the hot water inlet 37 be relatively large compared to the cold water inlet to compensate for the fact that the hot water is supplied at lower pressure, it is preferable that no dimension of the opening 37 be greater than the diameter of the co-operating inlet opening formed in the valve body 12. If this were not so, there would be a danger that sealing means provided around the inlet opening in the valve body 12 would be damaged by the edges of the valve plug 30 around the inlet opening 37.

The smaller lower chamber 38 within the spherical valve plug 30 is provided with a single opening 39 acts as both inlet and outlet for cold water.

The four passages 14, 16, 18 and 20 terminate in inlet and outlet ports 15, 17, 19, 21 respectively where the passages meet the control recess. 13 in the valve body 12. In fact, two of the ports 19 and 21, which serve as warm water inlet and outlet respectively, are formed in a separate intermediate ring 44 which is a push fit in the central recess 13. This construction is adopted to facilitate manufacture; it is easier in some instances to form the passages and openings required by drilling or cutting from the outside of the intermediate ring 44 than from the interior of the recess 13.

Leakage of water between the intermediate ring 44 and the valve body 12 is prevented by sealing rings 46 and 48 which locate in grooves formed in the valve body 12.

The ports 15 and 19 which serve as inlets for cold and hot water respectively are provided with sprung sealing ferrules 50 which ensure a good seal between the interior of the port 15 and 19 and the surface of the spherical valve plug 30 around the periphery of the valve inlet openings 35 and 39. The ferrules 50 each consist of an elastomeric sleeve 52 which is forced against the peripheral wall of the port by the water pressure. The sleeves 52 are tapered or provided with an inwardly-directed lip which serves to trap a helical wire compression spring 54, one end of which bears on a shoulder formed on the valve body 12, the other urging the lip of the elastomeric sleeve 52 into sealing contact with the outer surface of the spherical valve plug 30.

As will be understood from the drawings, the ball-shaped valve plug 30 is moved by means of the operating lever 32 to open and close the inlet and outlet ports 15, 17, 19 and 21 as the inlet and outlet openings 35, 37 and 39 formed in the valve plug 30 move into and out of alignment with them. The temperature of the water, that is, the ratio of hot:cold water is varied by rotating the valve plug 30 about an axis perpendicular to the guide plate 42. The flow of ib 'b conroiie by pivoting ttie valve plug 30 about an axis perpendicular to the operating lever 32. Movement of valve plug-30 is guided by the guide plate 42 shown most clearly in Figure 3.

The guide plate 42 is in the form of a disc with a rectangular slot 43 formed in it. The slot 43 is of dimensions such that it fits closely about the operating lever 32 which is of square crosssection, allowing the lever 32 to slide along its length but not to rotate within it. Thus, the interengagement of the operating level 32 with the guide plate 42 permits only two types of movement of the spherical valve plug 30. Firstly, the operating level 32 and, hence, the valve plug 30, can be rotated about an axis perpendicular to and central to the guide plate 42. This rotation is limited to approximately 90 degrees by stops 45 on the guide plate engaging suitable limit stops in the port 44. Secondly, the operating level 32 can move along the length of the slot 43 to pivot the valve plug 30 about an axis parallel to the guide plate 42.

The guide plate 42 ensures, in particular, that the operating lever 32 can be moved smoothly to vary the flow rate through the valve while leaving the ratio of hot:cold water unchanged.

It will be appreciated that when both the hot and cold water inlets are open, hot water flows through the passage 18 in the valve body 12, through inlet port 19 and the inlet opening 35 in the valve plug 30 into the chamber 36. From the chamber 36, hot water flows from outlet opening 37 through outlet port 21 and passage 20 to the tap outlet nozzle (not shown). At the same time, cold water enters through passage 14 and flows through the inlet port 15 and opening 39 into the second chamber 38 on the valve plug 30. Cold water leaves the chamber 38 through the same opening 39 and flows through outlet port 17 and passage 16 to the tap nozzle.

It can be seen that the hot and cold water flow paths are entirely separate through the valve assembly. As a further safeguard against any leakage of water between the two flow paths around the valve plug 30, a sealing gasket 50 runs around the tap body 12 to form a seal between the cold water inlet and outlet and hot water inlet and outlet respectively. The gasket, which is shown in detail in Figure 4 is in the nature of a sealing ring with a Vshaped groove 52 formed in it. The gasket 50 locates in a groove formed in the tap body 12 so that the open end of the V-shaped groove 52 is directed towards the higher pressure, that is, cold water side.If water does leak between the tap body 12 and the surface of the spherical valve plug 30, the greater pressure on the cold water side will urge the arms of the 'V' apart and into sealing contact with both the valve body 12 and the valve member 30.

The surface of the gasket 50 which, in use, contacts the valve plug 30 is provided with a coating of PTFE or other 'non-stick' material to enable the valve plug 30 to slide over it easily.

The particular configuration of inlets and outlets shown in Figure 1 is not the only one possible; an alternative arrangement is shown in Figure 5. For ease of reference the same components as those shown in Figure 1 have been given the same reference numerals, with the suffix 'a'.

Similarly, the valve plug 30 may be divided differently to form the two chambers 36 and 38. This, of course, necessitates some rearrangement of the inlet and outlet ports. An alternative arrangement in which the valve member 30b is divided into chambers 36b and 38b by a disk 34b extending parallel to the operating lever 32b is shown in Figures 6 and 7. No detailed description of this arrangement is necessary; its principles of operation are similar te those of the valve of Figure 1. Again for ease of reference analogous parts have been given the same reference numeral as in Figures 1 to 4 but with the suffix 'b1.

The mixer tap valves described above permit the use of a single operating lever to control both water temperature and flow rate. At the same time, they permit the requirement for entirely separate flow paths for hot and cold water laid down by British water supply regulations to be met without using ceramic discs.

Claims

CLALMS

1. A valve for controlling the flow of liquids, the valve comprising a ball-like valve plug which, in use, is received in a recess formed in a valve body with which it co-operates to control the flow of liquid through the valve; the valve body having first and second inlet ports and first and second outlet ports and the valve plug having first and second passages extending therethrough; the valve plug being movable into and out of positions in which the first passage connects the first inlet and outlet ports and/or the second passage connects the second inlet and outlet ports respectively; the first and second passages being separated from one another by a liquid impermeable wall so that the valve is capable of providing two separate liquid flow paths.

2. A valve according to claim 1 in which the valve plug is movable by means of an operating lever coupled thereto; the operating lever having two opposed parallel surfaces formed thereon; the valve further comprising a guide plate having an elongate slot formed therein of width just greater than the distance between the parallel surfaces on the operating lever; the guide plate being pivotable about an axis perpendicular to the plane thereof and co-operating with the operating lever so as to permit only pivoting of the valve plug about the axis perpendicular to the plane of the guide plate.

3. A valve according to claim 2 in which the guide plate is provided with stops engageable with stops on the valve body to limit rotation of the guide plate relative thereto.

4. A valve according to claim 1, 2 or 3 including sealing means interposed between the valve plug and the valve body to oppose leakage of liquid therebetween; the sealing means extending in a closed loop around the first inlet and outlet ports to separate them from the second inlet and outlet ports.

5. A valve according to claim 4 in which the sealing means is of V-shaped cross-section, the open end of the V-shaped cross-section being directed toward the ports through which liquid flows at higher pressure.

6. A valve according to any preceding claim in which at least some of the inlet and outlet ports are formed in an intermediate member locatable in the valve body to define the recess in which the valve plug is received.

7. A valve according to any preceding claim in which the inlet ports are provided with tublar sealing sleeves resiliently biassed towards the valve plug to sealingly engage against the exterior thereof.

8. A valve according to any preceding claim in which the inlet ports are of differing sizes to compensate for differing pressures of liquid supplied thereto.

9. A valve according to any preceding claim in which the valve plug is in the form of a hollow body having an internal wall therein to divide it into separate passages.

10. A valve according to claim 9 in which the internal wall is secured to the interior of the valve plug by welding.

11. A valve according to any preceding claim in which the passages are of differing volumes to compensate for differing pressures of liquids passing therethrough.

12. A valve according to any. preceding claim in which the valve plug is movable by means of an operating lever coupled thereto; the impermeable wall separating the passages extending parallel to the operating lever.

13. A valve according to any preceding claim in which the valve plug is movable by means of an operating lever coupled thereto; the impermeable wall separating the passages extending transversely of the operating lever.

14. A valve for controlling the flow of liquids substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

15. A mixer tap including a valve according to any preceding claim and a spout having separate flow passages connecting the outlet ports of the valve body to an outlet end thereof.