JP2532727Y2 - Thermostatic mixing valve - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a thermostatic mixing valve having a function of automatically adjusting the temperature of mixed water, and particularly to setting a position of a control valve in response to a temperature of mixed water. The mechanism to do.

[Conventional technology]

The thermostatic mixing valve has a function of returning the temperature of the mixed water to a set temperature of the mixed water in response to a change in the temperature of the mixed water due to a change in the pressure or flow rate of the supplied water and hot water. FIG. 4 shows a main part of a thermostatic mixing valve generally used conventionally.

A water chamber 2 and a hot water chamber 3 communicating with a water supply source and a hot water supply source, respectively, are formed inside the main body 1 of the thermostat mixing valve, and these chambers communicate with a water discharge passage 4 via a control valve A. . The control valve A is such that the cylindrical valve element 5 can be moved in the axial direction thereof.
And the hot water valve seat 3a of the hot water chamber 3 are stored. On the other hand, a cylindrical sleeve 6 whose tip abuts on the valve element 5 and a temperature sensing element 7 are provided as temperature sensing functions. The temperature sensing element 7 has a wax sealed therein, and the expansion and contraction of the wax causes a pin 7a provided at one end to protrude and retract.
Using this operation, the valve element 5 of the control valve A can be moved in the axial direction.

The pin 7a is removably inserted into a metal receiving block 50 incorporated in a member on the operation handle (not shown) side, and the sleeve 6 is connected to the operation handle via a temperature sensing element 7. Therefore, when the operating handle is rotated, the sleeve 6 reciprocates to move the valve body 5 right and left in the figure, and the discharge temperature can be set by adjusting the valve opening of the water valve seat 2a and the hot water valve seat 3a. . The receiving block 50 is urged toward the temperature sensing element 6 by a spring 9 in order to suppress an overshoot of the discharge temperature at the time of setting.

At the time of water spouting, water flows from the water inflow hole 6a opened in the sleeve 6 and hot water flows from the hot water inflow hole 5a opened in the valve body 5 into the sleeve 6, and are mixed. Then, the mixed water flows around the temperature sensing element 7 and is discharged to the water discharge passage 4 from an outflow hole 6b opened in the sleeve 6. At this time, if the temperature of the mixed water is higher than the set value, the wax in the temperature sensing element 7 expands and the pins 7a protrude, so that the sleeve 6 moves to the left in the figure. For this reason, the valve opening on the hot water valve seat 3a side becomes small, and at the same time, the water valve seat 2a side expands, and the temperature of the mixed water is lowered to return to the set temperature.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, since the temperature sensing element 7 is fixed to the metal sleeve 6 and the one end pin 7a is similarly fitted into the metal receiving block 50, the temperature sensing element 7 receives a highly rigid restraining force as a whole. For this reason, the load applied to the temperature sensing element 7 also increases, and in particular, the protruding and retracting amount of the pin 7a and the responsiveness are likely to be impaired, and the life is shortened.

In addition, when the temperature is set by rapidly turning the operation handle, cycling occurs in the discharge temperature. In this cycling, when the operation handle is rotated, the valve element 5 moves in response to the rotation of the operation handle to adjust the valve opening, and thereafter, the temperature sensing element 7
Correct the position of the valve element 5 where the pin 7a of the
Further, this is a phenomenon that occurs because the temperature sensing element 7 responds to the temperature of the mixed water flowing from the inside of the sleeve 6 to the outflow hole 6b, and the pin 7a moves in and out to adjust the position of the valve element 5 again. And
There is a time lag between the change in the flow rate of hot water or water due to the movement of the valve body 5 and the correction of the opening degree of the valve body 5 due to the expansion and contraction of the pin 7a of the temperature sensing element 7, so that the position correction of the valve body 5 is excessive. After the temperature is set, the temperature fluctuates up and down across the set temperature.

FIG. 5 (b) shows a change in the water discharge temperature when the temperature is set in the order of 40 ° C., 30 ° C., 40 ° C., 50 ° C., and 40 ° C. from the cold water state. As can be seen from this, when each temperature value is set, an overshoot and an undershoot occur, and thereafter the temperature shifts to a cycling phenomenon in which the temperature fluctuates up and down across the set temperature, and the temperature fluctuation gradually attenuates. For this cycling, the spring 9 biasing the receiving block 50 has a function of buffering the movement of the pin 7a, and the cycling can be somewhat suppressed.
However, since the pin 7a is fitted in the metal receiving block 50, the movement of the pin 7a due to the protrusion / retraction of the pin 7a is transmitted to the spring 9 as it is, and there is a limit to speeding up the cycling attenuation.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to suppress the cycling due to the movement of the temperature sensing element, to supply mixed water without temperature fluctuation, and to improve the life of members such as the temperature sensing element.

[Means for solving the problem]

The present invention includes a single-shaft operation type control valve that mixes water and hot water supplied into the main body, and connects a valve body of the control valve to a temperature-sensitive body that is sensitive to the temperature of the mixed water. A thermostatic mixing valve provided with a receiving block for receiving a pin that appears and retracts due to expansion and contraction of a sealed temperature-sensitive fluid, the temperature adjusting handle movably providing the receiving block in a stroke direction of the valve body. And elastically deformable and supported by a spring biasing in the pin direction.

[Action]

When the hot water supply temperature rises, the pins of the temperature sensing element protrude toward the receiving block side. Therefore, when the hot water supply temperature is rapidly set high by the temperature adjustment handle, the pins push the receiving block. At this time, the receiving block is elastically supported by the spring and the receiving block itself can also be elastically deformed, so that the shock to the sudden protrusion of the pin is absorbed.
Therefore, the operation of the pin can be reduced to a dull operation, and the cycling phenomenon of the temperature fluctuation occurring during the transition from the temperature setting to the steady state can be suppressed.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a front vertical sectional view of the thermostatic mixing valve of the present invention. The same members as those shown in the conventional example of FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the figure, a water leg pipe 1a and a hot water leg pipe 1b communicating with the water chamber 2 and the water chamber 3 are connected to the back of the main body 1, respectively. The valve body 5 of the control valve A housed inside the main body 1 is cylindrical and has one end facing the water valve seat 2a and the other end facing the hot water valve seat 3a. At the same time on one axis. Further, the valve element 5 is urged toward the temperature sensing element 7 by a spring 10 housed in the hot water chamber 3,
The spring 10 holds the valve body 5 movably in the axial direction in conjunction with the operation of the pin 7a that comes and goes. The spout 4 is connected to a spout 4a attached to the main body 1, and the mixed hot water is discharged from the spout 4a.

On the other hand, a temperature setting handle 11 is provided at the right end of the main body 1, and its spindle 11a is connected to a hollow cylindrical drive shaft 11b which is rotatable inside the main body 1 and is movable in the axial direction. Then, the pin 7a side of the temperature sensing element 7 is inserted into the drive shaft 11b, the receiving block 8 into which the pin 7a is slidably fitted, and a spring 9 for urging the receiving block 8 toward the temperature sensing element 7. Are incorporated in the drive shaft 11b. The receiving block 8 is movable within the drive shaft 11b, and the temperature of the mixed water flowing around the temperature sensing element 7 after the position of the drive shaft 11b is determined by the temperature adjustment handle 11 and the opening of the valve body 5 is set. In the case where there is an error, the receiving block 8 moves in the drive shaft 11b in accordance with the emergence of the pin 7a,
Automatically adjust the opening of.

The receiving block 8 is formed of a synthetic resin such as polyacetal, nylon, polybutylene terephthalate or the like instead of a conventional metal one. FIG. 2 shows the details of the receiving block 8. The receiving block 8 is formed in a bowl shape with a fitting hole 8a for a pin 7a provided inside, and a flange 8b serving as a seating surface of a spring 9 is formed at one end. This flange 8b
Is thinner than the other parts, and furthermore, the slits 8c are cut in a cross shape so as to be easily elastically deformed.

In the above configuration, when the temperature setting handle 11 is rotated, the drive shaft 11b moves in the axial direction, and the temperature sensing element 7 connected to the drive shaft 11b moves right and left in FIG. Thereby, the valve element 5 moves between the water valve seat 2a and the hot water valve seat 3a,
The valve opening of each valve seat 2a, 3a is set to adjust the temperature of the mixed water.

If the temperature of the mixed water shifts to a higher temperature than the set temperature,
The wax of the temperature sensing element 7 expands and the pin 7a moves rightward in FIG. 1, and the reaction force causes the sleeve 6 to move leftward. For this reason, the valve element 5 also moves to the left, and the valve opening on the hot water valve seat 3a side decreases, and at the same time, the valve opening on the water valve seat 2a side increases. Accordingly, since the amount of hot water decreases and the amount of water increases, the temperature of the mixed water drops to the set temperature, and automatic temperature adjustment is performed. On the other hand, when the temperature of the mixed water falls below the set temperature, the wax shrinks and the pin 7a sinks into the thermosensitive body 7, and the sleeve 6 moves to the right. As a result, the amount of hot water increases, the amount of water decreases, and the temperature of the mixed water increases to the set value.

FIG. 3 shows a pin 7a utilizing the elastic deformation of the receiving block 8.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining that sudden bulging of the horn and cycling at the time of temperature setting by the temperature adjustment handle 11 are prevented. FIG. 3A shows a steady state when the mixed water is being discharged, and FIG. 3B shows a transitional period from this state until the temperature of the mixed water is rapidly increased and stabilized by operating the temperature adjustment handle 11. ).

When the operation of raising the temperature of the mixed water is performed, the wax inside the thermosensitive body 7 expands only by the rise in the temperature of the mixed water flowing down inside the sleeve 6, and the pin 7a advances in the direction of pushing the receiving block 8 rightward in the drawing. . For this reason, the valve body 5 moves to the side of lowering the temperature of the mixed water, and the wax in the temperature sensing element 7 shrinks due to the temperature drop of the mixed water and the pin 7a retracts, and the valve body 5 again lowers the temperature of the mixed water. Move to the raising side. Such a phenomenon is continued several times thereafter, the minute movement of the sleeve 6 is gradually attenuated, the temperature of the mixed water is stabilized, and the state shifts to a steady state.

Here, since the receiving block 8 is made of a synthetic resin and is easily elastically deformed, when the pin 7a protrudes, the pin is also deformed by the deformation of the receiving block 8 indicated by a broken line.
The movement of 7a is buffered. For this reason, not only the shock by the spring 9 but also the shock at the time of the protrusion of the pin 7a can be absorbed by the receiving block 8, and the cycling phenomenon after the overshoot can be suppressed.

FIG. 5 (a) shows a change in hot water supply temperature when the temperature is set by the valve of the present invention under the same conditions as those described in FIG. 5 (b). Although the overshoot and the undershoot occur when the temperature is increased or decreased, the temperature fluctuation thereafter is rapidly attenuated. And it was also confirmed that the cycling phenomenon rapidly attenuated and shifted to the steady state in a short time as compared with the conventional structure.

As described above, even when the temperature is rapidly set by the temperature adjustment handle 11, the cycling phenomenon can be suppressed. Therefore, the movable members such as the pin 7a, the sleeve 6, and the valve body 5 do not move unnecessarily, the fatigue of the springs 9 and 10 can be reduced, and the durability of the members is improved. Further, since the pin 7a of the temperature sensing element 7 is elastically connected to an external member,
The pin 7a and the temperature sensing element 7
The load on itself is buffered, and the life of the temperature sensing element 7 is prolonged.

[Effect of the invention]

In the present invention, the pins protruding from the temperature sensing element due to the temperature rise are elastically received by the block. Therefore, even when the hot water supply temperature is set to be rapidly increased, the movement of the pin can be buffered to return to a steady state, and cycling of the temperature fluctuation after the setting can be suppressed. Therefore, the temperature fluctuation in the transition period from the temperature setting to the steady state can be rapidly attenuated, and the user can comfortably use the temperature while setting the temperature. Further, by elastically supporting the pins of the temperature sensing element, the restraining force of the member from the outside to the temperature sensing element can be relaxed, and the external force load can be reduced, so that the life of the temperature sensing element is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front vertical sectional view of a thermostat mixing valve showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 (a) is a bottom view of a receiving block, and FIG. 2 (b) is II in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic view for explaining buffering of the protrusion of the pin due to deformation of the receiving block, FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part of a conventional example, and FIG. 5 (a) is the present invention. FIG. 5 (b) is a measurement graph showing a change in hot water supply temperature using the valve of FIG. 1: body, 2: water chamber 3: hot water chamber, 4: water discharge channel 5: valve body, 6: sleeve 7: temperature sensing element, 7a: pin 8: receiving block, 8a: mating hole 8b: flange, 8c : Sleeve 9: Spring, 10: Spring 11: Temperature adjustment handle A: Control valve

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] A control valve of a single-shaft operation type for mixing water and hot water supplied into the main body, wherein a valve element of the control valve is connected to a temperature sensitive element sensitive to the temperature of the mixed water; A thermostatic mixing valve provided with a receiving block for receiving a pin which comes and goes due to expansion and contraction of the temperature-sensitive fluid enclosed in the valve, the temperature adjusting handle movably providing the receiving block in a stroke direction of the valve body; A thermostatic mixing valve formed so as to be elastically deformable in a direction and supported by a spring biasing in the pin direction.