JP2591870Y2 - Thermostatic mixing valve - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermostatic mixing valve having an automatic temperature control function, in particular, in which a change in the valve opening is moderated to prevent hunting and overshoot at the time of temperature setting and fluctuation. Device configuration.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Thermostatic mixing valves having an automatic temperature control function are used, for example, as hot water mixer taps provided in shower facilities for bathrooms, vanity stands, and the like.

[0003] The basic structure of this thermostatic mixing valve is such that a temperature-sensitive function section is incorporated in an internal flow path of the main body, thereby moving a valve element that changes the mixing ratio of water and hot water on one axis when a temperature fluctuation occurs. Then, the temperature of the mixed water is maintained at the set temperature.

[0004] As an example of the temperature sensing function section, a temperature sensing element in which a heat-expandable / shrinkable wax is sealed is used as described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. Sho 62-50385. In some cases, the position of a valve body is changed by the movement of a pin that comes and goes from one end.

[0005] Instead of utilizing the thermal expansion and contraction of such a wax, a spring made of a shape memory alloy is housed in a mixed water flow path, and the spring in the axial direction of the spring based on the fluctuation of the mixed water temperature. In some cases, the temperature is adjusted by expansion and contraction.

[0006] In any of these, the temperature sensing part is exposed to the mixed water flowing through the internal flow path of the main body, and the thermal expansion and temperature of the temperature sensing part are increased.
The automatic temperature adjustment is performed by moving the valve body by using the contraction as a conversion means and changing the valve opening degree between the hot water side and the water side.

[0007]

However, the valve body for temperature adjustment is a hollow cylindrical body, and one end in the axial direction is a seating surface for a water valve seat, and the other end is seated on a hot water valve seat. Surface. For this reason, each valve opening degree of the water side and the hot water side is a product of the distance between each valve seat and the end of the valve body and the length of the outer peripheral surface of the valve body. Therefore, the larger the valve body, the more the valve opening changes even if the amount of movement in the axial direction is small.

As described above, in the structure in which the valve body is moved in the axial direction to adjust the valve opening and the temperature is adjusted by changing the mixing ratio of hot water and water, the valve opening on the hot water side and the water opening on the water side during operation. Immediately after the adjustment, a hunting phenomenon in which the temperature fluctuates up and down across the set temperature easily occurs.

Further, even when setting the temperature, the valve opening tends to increase or decrease more rapidly than the rotation angle of the handle, so that the overshoot often exceeds the set value.

The problem to be solved in the present invention is to make the change in the valve opening during the temperature adjustment of the thermostatic mixing valve gentle, thereby suppressing the occurrence of hunting and overshoot of the temperature of the mixed water.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a water inlet and a hot water inlet are provided on a peripheral wall at an axial distance from each other, and a water inlet and a hot water are provided in a housing provided with a mixed water outlet on the downstream side. A hollow cylindrical valve body having a hole for water and a hole for hot water which can be aligned with the inflow port on the peripheral wall is rotatably provided, and the valve body is rotatable from outside, and the hole for water and the hole for hot water are provided. A coil spring made of a shape memory element is provided in a flow path where water and hot water mix from each other, and the coil spring is connected between the valve body and the housing to reduce the torsion caused by deformation based on a temperature change. The direction can be converted into rotation around the axis of the body, and when the mixed water rises and fluctuates above the set temperature, the valve opening on the hot water hole side is made small, and when the mixed water fluctuates, the valve opening on the water hole side is made small. By the coil spring Characterized in that the system for rotating the valve body Te.

The coil spring is made of a one-way shape memory element having a shape memory effect against a temperature change from a low temperature side to a high temperature side, and is provided with a valve body in a direction to increase the valve opening on the hot water side. It is also possible to adopt a configuration having a bias spring for biasing.

Further, the coil spring has a shape memory effect for both low temperature and high temperature atmospheres.
It may be made of a directional shape memory element.

[0014]

The valve element provided in the housing is cylindrical and is rotated about its axis to open the water and hot water holes of the valve element with respect to the water and hot water inlets of the housing. You can set the degree. For this reason, if the shape and size of these holes for water and hot water and the inlet are appropriately set, the change in the valve opening can be made gentle. Therefore, there is no sudden change in the valve opening, and hunting and overshoot at the time of temperature setting and the like are prevented.

The coil spring made of a shape memory element expands and contracts in response to the temperature of the mixed water, so that the valve opening on the hot water side is reduced when the temperature rises, and the valve on the water side is reduced when the temperature drops. The valve element can be rotated so as to reduce the opening degree, whereby automatic temperature adjustment is performed for temperature fluctuations during use.

When the coil spring is made of a one-way shape memory element, the coil spring merely stores the shape on the high temperature side. On the other hand, if a bias spring that urges the valve body in the direction to increase the valve opening degree of the hot water hole is provided, it is possible to adjust the opening degree of the valve body even when the mixed water changes to a low temperature side. Become.

Further, if the coil spring is made bidirectional in which the shapes of the low-temperature side and the high-temperature side are stored, it is possible to adjust the valve opening corresponding to the temperature fluctuation of the mixed water by the deformation of the coil spring with respect to the temperature. Therefore, a bias spring is not required.

[0018]

1 is a front vertical sectional view schematically showing the structure of a main part of a thermostat mixing valve, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are vertical sectional views taken along lines AA and BB of FIG. 1, respectively. is there.

In the figure, a water inlet 1a and a hot water inlet 1b are opened at intervals in an axial direction on a peripheral wall of a housing 1 incorporated in a main body (not shown) of a hot and cold water mixing tap. A mixed water outlet 1c is opened on the downstream side communicating with the inlets 1a and 1b. The water inlet 1a communicates with a water supply chamber in the main body of the hot and cold water mixing tap, and similarly, the hot water inlet 1b and the mixed water outlet 1c communicate with the hot water chamber and the mixing chamber, respectively. Discharged from the discharge end.

Inside the housing 1, a hollow cylindrical valve body 2 is rotatably mounted around its axis.
Is rotatable in conjunction with the rotation of a spindle 3 screwed to the housing 1. When adjusting the temperature, a handle 3a protruding from the housing 1 and located outside the main body of the hot and cold water mixing tap is rotated.

A water hole 2a and a hot water hole 2b having a mutual positional relationship as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are formed in the peripheral wall of the valve body 2. 2 and 3, the valve element 2 is in its neutral position, the hot water hole 2b aligns the flow path in the right half area with respect to the hot water inlet 1b, and the water hole 2a is the water inlet 1a. The flow path is aligned in the left half region with respect to. A partition wall 2 is provided between the water hole 2a and the hot water hole 2b.
c, and a water hole 2a is provided at the center thereof.
A communication hole 2d communicating with the c side is opened.

Between the partition wall 2c and the end face of the spindle 3, the rotation of the spindle 3 is transmitted to the valve body 2 and the valve body is increased in the direction of increasing the valve opening on the hot water hole 2b side when the temperature of the mixed water drops. The bias spring 4 for biasing the spring 2 is incorporated. The bias spring 4 is hooked by hooks 2e and 3b provided on the end faces of the partition wall 2c and the spindle 3, respectively. When the handle 3a is operated to rotate, the bias spring 4 transmits a rotational force to the partition wall 2c while twisting. The valve body 2 can be rotated around its axis.

Further, a coil spring 5 made of a shape memory element which functions as a temperature sensing part is incorporated in the valve body 2 on the downstream side from the partition wall 2c. This coil spring 5
It is made of a directional shape memory element, and stores the shape on the high temperature side, and can be deformed to the stored shape when the temperature of the mixed water increases. And, by this deformation, it has a function of rotating the valve body 2 so that the mixed water temperature is maintained at the set temperature.

The coil spring 5 has one end connected to the partition wall 2.
c is hooked by a bifurcated hook 2f, and the other end is held by a hook 1d protruding from the end of the valve body 2 and protruding from the inner periphery of the housing 1.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the winding direction of the coil spring 5 and the engagement relationship with the hooks 1d and 2f. FIG. 5 is a view of the coil spring 5 viewed from the upstream side.

As shown in the figure, the coil spring 5 is spirally formed clockwise as viewed from the upstream side, and has hook pieces 5a, 5h for hooking on the hooks 1d, 2f, respectively, at both ends.
b is projected in the radial direction. When the temperature of the coil spring 5 becomes high due to the positional relationship between the hooks 1d and 2f and the hook pieces 5a and 5b as shown in FIG. 5, the spring 5 is deformed by its shape memory effect, and is clockwise in FIG. , Whereby the valve body 2 rotates clockwise in FIGS. 2 and 3. Therefore, the degree of matching between the water hole 2a and the water inlet 1a is large, and the degree of matching between the water hole 2b and the water inlet 1b is small.
Set to the low temperature side.

When the temperature around the coil spring 5 decreases, the coil spring 5 starts to soften, and the biasing force of the bias spring 4 in the torsional direction overcomes that of the coil spring 5. For this reason, the coil spring 5 tries to deform in the counterclockwise direction in the figure,
The valve body 2 connected to the spring 5 by the hook 2f rotates counterclockwise in FIGS. Therefore, the degree of matching between the water hole 2a and the water inlet 1a is small, and the degree of matching between the hot water hole 2b and the hot water inlet 1b is large, and the temperature is set to the high temperature side.

In the above arrangement, the temperature of the mixed water is set by rotating the valve body 2 via the bias spring 4 by rotating the handle 3a. Thus, the degree of matching of the water and hot water holes 2a and 2b of the valve body 2 with the water and hot water inlets 1a and 1b of the housing 1 is determined.

Here, the supplied water flows into the downstream side of the valve body 2 via the communication hole 2d, mixes with the hot water at this portion, and flows off to the mixed water outlet 1c side. Then, a coil spring 5 made of a shape memory element located in this flow.
In accordance with the temperature of the mixed water, the valve body 2 is rotated by the shape memory effect on the high temperature side and the operation of the bias spring 4 on the low temperature side to automatically adjust the mixed water temperature to the set value. it can.

The valve body 2 is of a rotary type, and the positions of holes 2a and 2b for water and hot water formed in the peripheral wall thereof are changed with respect to the water inlet 1a and the hot water inlet 1b on the housing 1 side. The opening degree is changed more slowly than the setting of the valve opening degree by the movement in the axial direction. For this reason, even when the temperature is set or the temperature of the mixed water changes abruptly, the opening degrees of the water side and the hot water side do not change abruptly. is there.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the internal structure of a valve housing showing another example.

In this example, the coil spring 5 is constituted by a reversible two-way shape memory element having a shape memory effect on both the low temperature side and the high temperature side. In the case of the coil spring 5 of the two-way shape memory element, the biasing force of the bias spring 4 is used to change the attitude of the valve body 2 when the temperature of the mixed water becomes low in the previous example. The valve body 2 can be driven only by the deformation of the coil spring 5,
No bias spring 4 is required.

The procedure for installing the coil spring 5 is as follows.
It is exactly the same as the previous example, the winding direction and hooks 1d, 2f
Is also the same as in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Even when the coil spring 5 made of a two-way shape memory element is provided, when the temperature around the coil spring 5 decreases, the coil spring 5 is turned counterclockwise in FIG. Try to deform in the direction. For this reason, the valve element 2 connected to the spring 5 by the hook 2f has a low degree of matching between the water hole 2a and the water inlet 1a, and the hot water hole 2b and the water inlet 1
It rotates in a direction in which the degree of matching with b increases, and is set on the high temperature side.

When the temperature of the coil spring 5 becomes high, the degree of matching between the water hole 2a and the water inlet 1a is large and the water hole 2b and the water inlet 1b are very similar to the previous example. The valve body 2 rotates in a direction in which the degree of matching decreases, and is set to a low temperature side.

[0036]

According to the present invention, the valve element is urged to rotate around its axis by a coil spring made of a shape memory element located in the flow path of the mixed water as a temperature sensing portion, and is applied to the peripheral wall of the valve element. Since the opened holes for water and hot water are aligned with the flow path on the supply side, the valve element is moved in the axial direction and the valve opening is set between the both end surfaces and the valve seat, compared to the conventional structure. The change in the valve opening is performed slowly. For this reason, hunting and large overshoot at the time of temperature adjustment or automatic adjustment at the time of temperature fluctuation are eliminated, and the mixed water at the set temperature can be supplied reliably.

Since the coil spring functioning as a temperature sensing part is exposed to the flow of the mixed water, its responsiveness is higher than that of a temperature sensing part in which a heat-shrinkable wax is sealed in a container, for example. High, automatic temperature adjustment can be performed quickly in response to temperature fluctuations.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing an internal structure of a valve housing used for a thermostatic mixing valve of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a positional relationship between a winding direction of a spring made of a shape memory element and a hook for hooking the spring.

FIG. 5 is a view of a spring and a hook as viewed from an upstream side.

FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an example of a valve housing including a coil spring of a two-way shape memory element having a shape memory effect on a low temperature side and a high temperature side.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Housing 1a Water inlet 1b Hot water inlet 1c Mixed water outlet 2 Valve 2a Water hole 2b Hot water hole 3 Spindle 4 Bias spring 5 Coil spring

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Toshihide Ushida 2-1-1 Nakajima, Kokurakita-ku, Kitakyushu-shi, Fukuoka Tochiki Kiki Co., Ltd. (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) F16K 31/70 F16K 11/00-11/24

Claims (3)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] A water inlet and a hot water inlet are provided on a peripheral wall at an interval in the axial direction on a peripheral wall, and a water which can be adjusted to the water inlet and the hot water inlet in a housing having a mixed water outlet on a downstream side. A hollow cylindrical valve body having a hole for hot water and a hole for hot water is provided rotatably, and the valve body is rotatable from the outside. Water and hot water from the water hole and hot water hole are mixed. A coil spring made of a shape memory element is provided in the flow path, and the coil spring is connected between the valve body and the housing and converts torsion caused by deformation based on a temperature change into rotation about the axis of the valve body. The valve body is actuated by the coil spring in such a direction that the valve opening on the hot water hole side is reduced when the mixed water rises and fluctuates above a set temperature and the valve opening on the water hole side is reduced when the mixed water fluctuates downward. To rotate Thermostat mixing valve as a system. 2. The coil spring is made of a one-way shape memory element having a shape memory effect with respect to a temperature change from a low temperature side to a high temperature side, in a direction to increase the valve opening on the hot water side. The thermostatic mixing valve according to claim 1, further comprising a bias spring for urging the valve body. 3. The coil spring has a shape memory effect for both low temperature side and high temperature side temperature atmospheres.
The thermostatic mixing valve according to claim 1, wherein the thermostatic mixing valve is made of a directional shape memory element.