GB2225835A

GB2225835A - A single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge with multiple sealing means

Info

Publication number: GB2225835A
Application number: GB8828540A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ching-Ding Pan
Original assignee: PAN CHING DING
Current assignee: PAN CHING DING
Priority date: 1988-12-07
Filing date: 1988-12-07
Publication date: 1990-06-13
Also published as: GB8828540D0

Abstract

A single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge having a valve housing (42) and a spindle (411) received therein, comprises a hot water inlet (422) and an axially spaced cold water inlet (423) on the opposite side of the valve housing (42), and a hot water controlling port (4111) and a cold water controlling port (4112) on the periphery of the spindle (411) corresponding to the hot water inlet (422) and cold water inlet (423) respectively. O-rings (51, 52, 53, 54) are provided around the periphery of the spindle (411) for effectively sealing off the possible leakage between the valve housing (42) and the spindle (411). The valve housing includes an outlet (421). <IMAGE>

Description

A SINGLE-HANDLE CONTROLLED FAUCET VALVE CARTRIDGE WITH MULTIPLE SEALING MEANS The present invention relates to a single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge with multiple sealing means. The prior single-handle controlled faucets are conventionally constructed with a symmetrically disposed hot water controlling port 322 and cold water controlling port 321 (as shown in Figs. 3, 4) for controlling the amount of water flowing therefrom. Based on this construction, no additional O-ring can be arranged therebetween for sealing off possible convective infiltration of hot water and cold water through the fissure between the valve housing 31 and the spindle 32, thus a user might be scalded by unwanted hot water when he wishes to use the cold water. Furthermore, the highly pressured water can leak through above-mentioned fissure due to lack of effective sealing means as in the prior art.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge with multiple sealing means, which comprises: - a valve housing having a water outlet, and a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet through which the hot water and cold water from a water pipe line can flow into said valve cartridge respectively; - a spindle fitly received in said valve housing, wherein a hot water controlling port and a cold water controlling port are formed on the periphery thereof corresponding to said hot water inlet and cold water inlet of said valve housing respectively for controlling the amount of water flowing therefrom.

The present invention also provides a single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge comprising a valve housing with a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet and a spindle mounted within the valve housing, the spindle having a hot water controlling port and a cold water controlling port for communication with the hot and cold water inlets respectively wherein the hot and cold water controlling ports are axially separated on the spindle and a sealing means is located therebetween.

Preferably, the valve housing has an outlet and the hot water controlling port is spaced further from the outlet than the cold water controlling port.

Preferably, an upper pin is formed on the upper surface of said spindle, fitly rotatable and able to move up and down, extending through an opening formed in the upper wall of said valve housing, a handle being attached to said upper pin to co-operate therewith for operating the faucet valve cartridge; and a lower pin being formed on the lower surface of said spindle, corresponding to said water outlet of said valve housing with a slightly larger diameter for effectively sealing said water outlet when said spindle is pressed down.

Preferably, the hot water inlet is formed on the upper wall of one side of said valve housing, and said cold water inlet is formed on the lower wall of the opposite side of said valve housing, said hot water controlling port and cold water controlling port are formed on the periphery of said spindle corresponding to the hot water inlet and cold water inlet respectively so that when the spindle is totally lifted up, both the hot water inlet and cold water inlet are fully opened, permitting water from a water pipe line to flow into and through said corresponding hot water and cold water controlling ports and in turn flowing out from said water outlet at a desirable temperature and so that when the spindle is gradually pressed down, said hot water and cold water inlets are gradually closed, reducing the amount of entering water until the water flow is totally shut off and the ratio of the amount of entering hot water to the amount of entering cold water can be adjusted by rotation of the spindle for obtaining available water with a variable range of temperature.

Preferably, a set of O-rings is provided around the upper pin to seal off leakage between the upper pin and said valve housing; and a washer is located around the lower end of said lower pin, providing a close seal between the lower pin and said valve housing when said spindle is pressed down with said lower pin abutting against the periphery of said water outlet; and a first O-ring and a second O-ring are arranged around the periphery of said spindle at a position above said hot water controlling port, spaced from each other by a distance slightly larger than the width of said hot water inlet and similarly a third O-ring and a fourth O-ring are likely arranged above said cold water controlling port so that when said spindle is pressed down to shut off the water flow, these O-rings can provide multiple seals to prevent leakage between said spindle and valve housing and when said spindle is lifted up to enable water flow to enter into the faucet valve cartridge, these O-rings can provide an additional sealing effect to prevent pressured flowing water from leaking out through the fissure between said upper pin and said spindle.

It is advantageous in a preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge having a hot water controlling port and a cold water controlling port disposed at different levels on the spindle, permitting a set of O-rings being provided therebetween to seal off the convective infiltration of the hot water and cold water.

It is a further advantage in a preferred embodiment of present invention to provide a single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge having multiple sealing means arranged around the spindle thereof, providing multiple seals between the spindle and the valve housing to seal off any possible leakage occuring therebetween.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention with the valve housing partially longitudinally cut away, showing the spindle at an upper discharging position; FIG. 2 is a front view of the present invention according to Fig. 1 showing the spindle at a lower closing position; and FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show the prior art as to the present invention.

Referring now to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a faucet valve cartridge 4 embodying the present invention is illustrated. The faucet valve cartridge 4 includes a generally cylindrical valve housing 42 and a spindle 411 to which a handle (not shown) may be attached.

The valve housing 42 includes a bore 424 for fitly receiving the spindle 411. A hot water inlet 422 is formed on the left upper wall of the valve housing 42, and a cold water inlet 423 is formed on the right lower wall of the valve housing 42. While a hot water controlling port 4111 and a cold water controlling port 4112 are located on the periphery of the spindle 411 corresponding to the hot water inlet 422 and cold water inlet 423 respectively. The lower end of housing 42 is open to form a water outlet 421 through which available water can flow out.

A rod-like upper pin 412 is located on the top end of the spindle 411, extending through an upper opening 415 of the housing 42. A handle can be secured to the upper pin 412 to cooperate therewith.

A rod-like lower pin 416 also located on the lower surface of the spindle 411 with a slightly larger diameter than that of the water outlet 421 for sealing the water outlet 421 when the spindle 411 is pressed down.

A set of O-rings are provided around the upper pin 412 to seal off leakage between the upper pin 412 and the valve housing 42. A washer 414 is located around the lower end of the lower pin 416, keeping the lower pin 416 in sealing contact with the valve housing 42 when the flow through the valve cartridge 4 is shut off.

With the above-mentioned arrangement, the upward or downward movements of the handle attached to the upper pin 412 can in turn lift up (as shown in Fig.1) or press down (as shown in Fig. 2) the spindle 411, thus permitting water flow from inlets 422 and 423 to flow into and through the controlling ports 4111 and 4112 or alternatively shutting off the water flow. While the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the handle can change the relative positions of the hot water controlling port 4111 and cold water controlling port 4112 with respect to the hot water inlet 422 and cold water inlet 423 respectively, thus minutely regulating the mixing ratio of the amount of hot water to the amount of the cold water, thereby controlling the temperature of the water discharged from the water outlet 421.

A first O-ring 51 and a second 0being 52 are arranged around the periphery of the spindle 411 at a position above the hot water controlling port 4111, spaced from each other by a distance slightly larger than the width of the hot water inlet 422. A third O-ring 53 and a fourth O-ring 54 are likely arranged above the cold water controlling port 4112. When the spindle 411 is pressed down (as shown in Fig. 2) and the water discharged from both of the water inlets 422 and 423 is shut off, these O-rings 51, 52, 53 and 54 provide multiple seals to prevent leakage between the spindle 411 and the valve housing 42. On the other hand, when the spindle 411 is lifted up, enabling water flow to commence as shown in Fig. 1, the above-mentioned O-rings 51, 52, 53 and 54 provide an additional sealing effect to prevent the high pressure discharged water from leaking out through the fissure between the upper pin 412 and the spindle 411.

The previously described O-rings 51, 52, 53 and 54 are preferably formed from rubber material or materials of the like. While the spindle 411 and the upper pin 412 as well as the lower pin 416 are preferably integrally rigidly formed from copper.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge with multiple sealing means, which comprises: - a valve housing having a water outlet, and a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet through which the hot water and cold water from a water pipe line can flow into said valve cartridge respectively; - a spindle fitly received in said valve housing, wherein a hot water controlling port and a cold water controlling port are formed on the periphery thereof corresponding to said hot water inlet and cold water inlet of said valve housing respectively for controlling the amount of water flowing therefrom.

2. A single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge comprising a valve housing with a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet and a spindle mounted within the valve housing, the spindle having a hot water controlling port and a cold water controlling port for communication with the hot and cold water inlets respectively wherein the hot and cold water controlling ports are axially separated on the spindle and a sealing means is located therebetween.

3. A single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge as claimed in claim 2 wherein the valve housing has an outlet and the hot water controlling port is spaced further from the outlet than the cold water controlling port.

4. A single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge with multiple sealing means as claimed in claim 1, wherein an upper pin is formed on the upper surface of said spindle, fitly rotatable and able to move up and down, extending through an opening formed in the upper wall of said valve housing, a handle being attached to said upper pin to co-operate therewith for operating the faucet valve cartridge; and a lower pin being formed on the lower surface of said spindle, corresponding to said water outlet of said valve housing with a slightly larger diameter for effectively sealing said water outlet when said spindle is pressed down.

5. A single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge with multiple sealing means as claimed in claim 4, wherein: said hot water inlet is formed on the upper wall of one side of said valve housing, and said cold water inlet is formed on the lower wall of the opposite side of said valve housing, said hot water controlling port and cold water controlling port are formed on the periphery of said spindle corresponding to the hot water inlet and cold water inlet respectively so that when the spindle is totally lifted up, both the hot water inlet and cold'water inlet are fully opened, permitting water from a water pipe line to flow into and through said corresponding hot water and cold water controlling ports and in turn flowing out from said water outlet at a desirable temperature and so that when the spindle is gradually pressed down, said hot water and cold water inlets are gradually closed, reducing the amount of entering water until the water flow is totally shut off and the ratio of the amount of entering hot water to the amount of entering cold water can be adjusted by rotation of the spindle for obtaining available water with a variable range of temperature.

6. A single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge with multiple sealing means as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein: a set of O-rings is provided around the upper pin to seal off leakage between the upper pin and said valve housing; and a washer is located around the lower end of said lower pin, providing a close seal between the lower pin and said valve housing when said spindle is pressed down with said lower pin abutting against the periphery of said water outlet; and a first O-ring and a second O-ring are arranged around the periphery of said spindle at a position above said hot water controlling port, spaced from each other by a distance slightly larger than the width of said hot water inlet, and, similarly, a third O-ring and a fourth O-ring are likely arranged above said cold water controlling port so that when said spindle is pressed down to shut off the water flow, these O-rings can provide multiple seals to prevent leakage between said spindle and valve housing and when said spindle is lifted up to enable water flow to enter into the faucet valve cartridge, these O-rings can provide an additional sealing effect to prevent pressured flowing water from leaking out through the fissure between said upper pin and said spindle.

7. A single-handle controlled faucet valve cartridge with multiple sealing means substantially as herein described and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.