JP3030089B2 - Mixing valve with ball valve element housed in cartridge - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The field of the invention relates to a mixing valve for a faucet incorporating a movable valve element contained in a cartridge, in particular a ball valve element contained in a cartridge.

Background of the Disclosure One-handed faucets, commonly referred to as mixing valves, that control both hot and cold water flows have gained widespread consumer acceptance. These faucets are usually configured so that a handle or knob can be moved in two different directions to adjust the mixing of hot and cold water and to adjust the amount or flow of water.

Two of the most widely accepted mixing valves in the market
The basic types of plates are plate valves and ball valves. A ball valve provides a robust one-piece structure that is robust and easy to assemble, while a plate valve provides a drive mechanism that allows movement of the handle in the desired two directions that would be universally accepted by the user. This desired handle movement is orbital movement of the handle about a fixed longitudinal central axis of the valve body.
And the movable body is allowed to swing around a horizontal central axis, that is, to pivot. This horizontal central axis is fixed with respect to the handle and is perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of the valve body. One distinctive feature of this type of handle movement is that when the handle is turned to the off position, the position of the handle allows the desired mixing ratio of hot and cold water to be memorized, and therefore when the faucet is returned. Hot water and water of the same mixing ratio flow through the faucet.

In recent years, ball valves have been devised that allow the handle to be operated in a manner similar to commercially accepted plate-type mixing valves. These ball-type mixing valves require the incorporation of another moving part in the form of a rotatable plate mounted above the ball valve element. In addition, the ball valves are combined with a plate-type device, which is adjustably positioned around a cover opening through a handle for controlling the ball valve to limit the total flow. Alternatively or additionally, these limiting devices limit the maximum ratio of hot and cold water, and thus limit the maximum temperature of the mixed water at the outlet.

There are various disadvantages associated with the ball valve structure. In particular, the ball valve element is mounted between a resilient inlet seal located around the inlet port of the valve body and a sealing gasket mounted under the valve cover or cap. The resilient inlet seal and gasket all deform to give the ball valve element between the valve body and the cap floating. There is no reliable locking or positioning mechanism to securely place the ball valve in place. The ball valve can move it in translation relative to the resilient member so that the operator can slightly move the handle when operating the handle in any direction not intended in the design of the mixing valve. be able to. This undesired movement gives the operator an undesirable spongy feel to the operation of the faucet and uncertainty about the proper operation of the faucet. Furthermore, this spongy feel of the handle gives the impression that the handle is unstable and not properly assembled.

The top sealing gasket provides three functions.
First, it seals around the ball against water leakage. Second, the outer periphery seals against the inner surface of the housing to prevent leakage. Third, the gasket pushes the tool downwardly against the inlet seal to resiliently position it. As a result, gaskets are a costly factor because of their volume and shape.

To reduce the floating sensation, many ball valve type mixing valves incorporate an adjustment ring. The adjustment ring is adjustably screwed onto the valve cap. The adjustment ring presses the sealing gasket downward against the ball valve element,
On the one hand, this ball valve element is pressed against the inlet seal. The downward positioning of the sealing gasket and ball valve element reduces, but does not eliminate, unwanted movement. Furthermore, the combination of the adjusting ring and the known gasket increases the cost and the complexity of the mixing valve.

Plate valves are often incorporated into cartridge faucets. The cartridge houses a movable and fixed plate. Cartridges are used to perform simple repairs on faucets.
You can easily remove it and replace it with another. Ball valves are not acceptable for faucets.
First, the floatability of traditional ball valves requires that any cartridge completely surround and dominate the ball valve, otherwise the ball valve would easily fall off the bottom of the cartridge. Second, the compactness of the ball valve structure leaves a small space for housing the cartridge. The introduction of traditional cartridges to house and secure the ball in the faucet housing requires that the housing be made taller to incorporate the extra height required to house the cartridge.

What is needed is a ball valve cartridge for a mixing valve that seals against leakage outside the housing and contains an upper sealing member in which the ball valve element sits. What is further required is a handle movement of a known plate valve which provides for swinging of the handle about the longitudinal center axis of the valve body while retaining the advantage of having only one movable piece for valve operation. A ball valve cartridge with the same effect, in other words a ball valve element without the introduction of a separate moving part, is provided.
What is needed is a ball valve assembly that does not require an adjustment ring and has a valve that eliminates the possibility of the handle moving in a manner different from that required for proper operation.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE According to one aspect of the present invention, a mixing valve for a liquid has a ball valve pivotally mounted within a valve receiving cavity of a housing. The cavity communicates with a plurality of inlet ports and at least one outlet port. The ball valve has an at least partially spherical surface and a plurality of inlet openings in that surface. The opening cooperates with the port to control fluid flowing through the port. The valve housing has a control opening. The ball valve has a control rod passing through the control opening.

The mixing valve houses the cartridge housing. The cartridge housing member has an upper opening to allow passage of the control rod. A ball valve is pivotally mounted on the cartridge housing. The cartridge has a lower opening,
The ball valve element projects through this opening and cooperates with the inlet port. The cartridge housing has a seat around the upper opening. A seat gasket sits around the upper opening of the cartridge housing and seals against the ball valve element.

Preferably, the sealing gasket has a radially inwardly extending lip which sealingly contacts the ball valve element. Preferably, the sealing gasket is preloaded so that the lip is pressed against the ball valve element. The preload is preferably created by a seal whose inner periphery is higher than the outer periphery and which is inclined and seated around the upper opening. The sealing gasket has a no-load position where the inner and outer peripheral portions are substantially coplanar. A preload is applied to the sealing gasket by twisting the gasket so that its inner peripheral portion is higher than its outer peripheral portion, and the sealing gasket is seated in an oblique seal seat.

In one embodiment, the cartridge housing comprises:
It has an outer sealing ring around it to prevent leakage between the cartridge and the valve body attached to it.

According to another aspect of the invention, a ball valve cartridge for a mixing valve includes a ball valve element having at _least one inlet and outlet. The cartridge housing has an upper opening through which a control rod connectable to a ball valve can pass. The ball valve is pivotally mounted on the cartridge housing. The cartridge has a lower opening,
The ball valve element projects through this opening. The ball valve element directly abuts the inlet seal member at the downstream end of the inlet port of the valve body.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a mixing valve for a faucet has a movable valve element mounted on a housing body defining a cavity. The body has a plurality of inlet and outlet ports communicating with the cavity. A moveable valve element cooperates with the inlet port to control the liquid flow and temperature of both streams mixing through the port. The valve body has a control opening through which a control rod connected to the movable valve element is received. The mixing valve is in the form of a cartridge having an upper opening to allow passage of the housing member and the control rod. A movable valve element is movably mounted on the cartridge housing member. The cartridge has a lower opening through which the movable valve element projects and cooperates with the inlet port.

In this way, the valve element is incorporated into the valve cartridge without having to increase the overall height of the valve body. Furthermore, due to the dual function of forcing and positioning the movable valve element with respect to the inlet seal member, the seal to prevent leakage around the movable valve element and the cartridge can have minimal dimensions and weight. .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is made to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a side sectional view of a mixing valve showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the mixing valve shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a drawing shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the mixing valve lower body member taken along line 3-3; FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the cartridge shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is a view of the cartridge housing shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the gasket shown in FIG. 1 in an unloaded state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the mixing valve 10 includes a valve housing 12 formed by a lower base member 14 and a cover assembly 16. The base member 14 has a cavity 22 in which two inlet ports 18 and 19 for hot and cold water are formed, and the cavity 22 further has an outlet port 20 as a passage for mixed water passing therethrough. . The downstream ends of the ports 18 and 19 are countersunk and form seats for two forcing springs 23 which press the cylindrical resilient sealing member 25 against the ball valve element 24. The hole passing through it is about 6.5 mm in diameter. The downstream ends of ports 18 and 19 are located about 40 ° above point 27 at the bottom of cavity 22. In addition, ports 18 and 19 are located about 15 degrees circumferentially from the front-rear plane as measured from vertical axis 28.

A cylindrical shell 17 is hermetically and slidably mounted around the lower base member 14 to form an annular chamber 15 communicating with the outlet port 20. A spout 21 communicating with the annular chamber 15 through the opening 13 of the shell 17 is fixed to the shell.

The cover 16 is a screw member screwed to the base member 14.
31 is provided. The decorative shell 11 is placed on the member 31. The valve cavity 22 has a substantially hemispherical lower surface sized to receive a ball valve element 24 contained within a cartridge 26. Cover 16 holds cartridge 26 within cavity 22. The base member 14 has an upstanding collar flange 70 with a keyway 71 for receiving a key 72 of the cartridge 26 to properly orient the cartridge of the mixing valve 10.

Ball valve element 24 has a substantially spherical surface 29 which has cold water inlet openings 30 and 32, hot water inlet openings 34 and 36, and outlet opening 38 therethrough. Openings 30 and 32 cooperate with cold water inlet port 18, openings 34 and 36 cooperate with hot water inlet port 19, and outlet opening 38 cooperates with outlet port 20 and two inlet ports 18. The flow of water from the two inlet ports 18 and 19 to the outlet port 20 is adjusted by adjusting the mixing ratio and flow rate from, and 19, that is, the total amount of water per unit time.

The cover assembly 16 has a control opening 40 therethrough. The cover 16 is positioned so that the central longitudinal axis 28 of the housing passes through the control opening 40. cartridge
26 comprises a housing member 56 having an upper opening 58 aligned below the opening 40.

A control rod 42 is fixedly connected to the ball valve element 24. Control rod
42 extends through the control opening 40. The control rod 42 is made to be attached to the faucet handle 43 in a conventional manner.

Ball valve element 24 is pivotally mounted to cartridge housing member 56. The housing member 56 can be made of a known plastic material suitable for faucets. The ball valve element 24 has a cylindrical pin 60 whose terminal 62 extends outside the ball valve surface 29 through the ball valve element. Hole 61 is sized to slidably receive pin 60. Pin 60 is the ball valve 24
Are positioned so as to intersect with the center 66 of the control rod 42 and to be orthogonal to the control rod 42. The pin can be welded in place as described in more detail below.

Each terminal 62 is located in a circumferentially disposed slot 68 formed in the cartridge housing 56. Each slot 68 has a centerline located in a plane 69 perpendicular to the center axis 28. Terminal 62 has a circular cross section because the shape is cylindrical,
It can pivot within slot 68 about an axis 75 perpendicular to central axis 28.

The circumferential end 74 of the slot 68 forms a stop shoulder 76 for the terminal 62. The slot 68 is dimensioned vertically so as to create only enough clearance in the slot 68 for the pin ends 62 to slide. It is not desirable that there be too much vertical clearance between the slot 68 and the terminal 62.

The lower portion 90 of the valve face 29 of the ball valve element 24 projects through a large lower open end 92 of the cartridge housing 56. The protrusion 90 is an important part of the ball. Approximately the lower half of the spherical valve face 29 is always open below the cartridge
Stick out under 92. Valve face with openings 30, 32, 34 and 36
29 functionally presses against a sealing member 52 which is pressed by a spring.

Around the upper opening 58 is located an annular gasket seat 94 facing the ball element 24. The gasket seat 94 is
The oblique portion 95 is slanted while being positioned higher than the outer peripheral portion 96. A downward attached shoulder 97 is provided in the inner peripheral portion in the vertical direction. An annular gasket seal ring 98 is pressed against seat 94 and attached to cartridge housing 56, and a preload is applied such that inner periphery 100 is more twisted than outer periphery 102. The gasket seal ring 98 has four rounded peripheral lip portions 104, 104, 108,
And 109. One of the lips 104 presses against the ball valve element 24 to provide a seal between them against water leakage. With the inner lip 106 positioned higher than the outer lip 108, the upper lips 106 and 108 strike the diagonal seat 94. The gasket seal ring 98 is shown in FIG. 6 in an unloaded condition with the lips 106 and 108 aligned horizontally. Upper part of ball surface 29 that contacts gasket seal ring 98
99 is properly polished to a suitable smoothness to provide proper sealing with the gasket.

An O-ring 112 is provided on the outer periphery 110 of the cartridge housing 56.
There is provided an annular groove 111 in which the seating of the seat 111 takes place. The O-ring 112 is dimensioned to seal the cavity 22 in the lower base member 14 of the housing 12 and the outer periphery 110 of the cartridge.

Swing of the control rod along a plane that includes the longitudinal central axis 28 causes the ball valve element 24 to rotate about a pivot 75 regardless of the rotational position of the ball valve element about the central axis 28.
In addition, terminal 62 can slide along slot 68 such that ball valve element 24 can rotate about central axis 28 when control rod 42 is pivoted about longitudinal central axis 28.

The rotation of the ball valve element 24 about the central axis 28 is limited by the position of the stop shoulder 76, which strikes the terminal 62. Other applications of the mixing valve may have different angles of rotation determined by circumferential positioning of the stop shoulder 76. The rotation of the ball valve element 24 as shown in FIG.
Therefore, the temperature of the discharged mixed water is adjusted.

Alternatively, or in addition to the stop shoulder 76, extends radially of the upper opening 115 of the guiding template 120 that fits within the upper recess 122 around the opening 58 of the cartridge housing 56 as shown in FIG. Edge 80, 82, 8
The rotation of the ball about the central axis 28 can also be limited by 4 and 86. The recess 122 is surrounded by an annular retaining collar 126. Control rod 42 is prevented from moving further ahead of the relevant edge when hitting edges 80-86. Edges 80 and 82 set the low temperature limit, and edge 84
86 defines the high temperature limit. Edges 80-86 allow approximately 90 ° of rotation of the ball about vertical central axis 28.

The upper opening 58 also has circumferential edges 88 and 89 which control the magnitude of the rocking movement of the pin 60 about the central axis 75 from the closed position to the fully open position.

The aforementioned gaskets 98 and 112 are combined with the cartridge. Next, the ball 24 is placed so as to hit the gasket 98, and is slightly pressed so as to press the gasket 98. Next, the pin 60 is pushed so as to pass through the slot 68 and the hole 61 of the ball surface 29. Gasket on ball 24
By pressing 98, the pin terminal 62 is moved to the lower surface of each slot 68.
Form a friction combination with 67 to prevent the pin 60 from falling off. The template 120 is then placed in the recess 122.
Template 120 has a thin outer flange 123 that can be pressed or snapped into recess 122. The assembled cartridge 26 is an independent assembly,
It can be sold separately as a repair replacement part for later installation in the faucet mixing valve 10.

The assembled cartridge 26 is the hollow part of the faucet body 14.
Placed within 22. Slots 72 properly position cartridge 26 within the cavity, and projections 130 properly position cartridge 26 on corresponding projections 132 of base member 14 in the vertical direction. Next, a spring-loaded corrugated ring 135 sandwiched between the cartridge 26 and the cover 16
The cover 16 is screwed onto the upright flange 70 with 6 being forced downward and pressed against the projection 132.

The minimum vertical clearance between the terminal 62 of the pin 60 and the slot 68 corresponds to the valve housing 12 and the cartridge housing 54.
The vertical displacement of the ball valve element 24 is prevented. Thus, the control rod does not show any instability or give the operator a spongy feel when the ball is swung along the two swivel directions described above.

The need for a large elastically-forced adjusting ring to push down the ball 24 against the spring-loaded sealing member 25 has been eliminated. The gasket seal ring 98 functions alone to prevent leakage between the ball valve element 24 and the cartridge housing 56. The O-ring 112 alone functions to prevent leakage between the cartridge housing 56 and the lower body member 14. The vertical position of the ball valve element 24 is pin
60 and slot 68 define the interior of cartridge housing 56. In addition, any adjustment ring member 140 conventionally required to provide the proper force of the ball valve 24 to the seal member 25 is optional.

Further, the ball valve element 24 is incorporated into a valve cartridge 26 that can be easily replaced without the need to increase the overall height of the valve housing 12 as compared to prior art mixing valves that incorporate a ball valve element. It should be noted that this cartridge can be retrofitted or, if the inlet and outlet are properly designed, it can be used with the standard base 14 previously fitted with the ball valve found in the prior art.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (32)

(57) [Claims] A ball valve element having at least one inlet and an outlet; a cartridge housing having an upper opening through which a control rod is connectable to said ball valve; A ball valve cartridge for a mixing valve comprising means for movably seating a ball valve, wherein the cartridge has a lower opening through which the ball valve element projects and wherein the cartridge comprises a ball valve. 1 while still interconnected with the cartridge housing
The ball valve element can be removably installed as a single unit within the cavity of the mixing valve and the ball valve element can be configured such that at least one of its inlets can be selectively matched or mismatched with an inlet port. A ball valve cartridge for a mixing valve, wherein the ball valve cartridge for the mixing valve can be made to sit close to an inlet port of the mixing valve below the mixing valve. 2. A ball valve element having at least one inlet and an outlet, a cartridge housing having an upper opening allowing passage of a control rod so as to be connectable with the ball valve, and A ball valve cartridge having means for movably seating within a housing, and a lower opening through which the ball valve element projects, wherein the ball valve element has at least one inlet selectively with the inlet port. The mixing valve can be seated below the cartridge in close proximity to the inlet port of the mixing valve so that there can be a match or a mismatch; at least one circumferentially extending within the cartridge.
A ball valve cartridge, characterized in that said means for seating said ball valve with projections extending from opposite circumferential sides of said ball valve element which can be fitted into a single slot. 3. The ball valve cartridge as defined in claim 2, further comprising said protrusion formed by a pin extending through said ball valve. 4. A cartridge housing having a seal seat around said upper opening; a sealing gasket seated within said seal seat around said upper opening of said cartridge housing and capable of sealing against said ball valve element. 4. A ball valve cartridge as defined in claim 3, further characterized by: 5. The invention defined in claim 3 further comprising a template member mounted within said upper recess of said cartridge housing proximate said upper opening to limit swinging and orbital movement of said control rod. Ball valve cartridge. 6. A ball valve cartridge as defined in claim 4, further comprising said sealing gasket having a radially inward lip for sealingly contacting said ball valve element. 7. A ball valve cartridge as defined in claim 6, further comprising said sealing gasket preloaded so that said lip is pressed against said ball valve element. 8. The ball valve cartridge as defined in claim 7, further comprising said pin having a frictional engagement with a lower surface of said at least one circumferentially extending slot. 9. The seal seat around the upper opening which is slanted in a state where the inner peripheral portion is placed above the outer peripheral portion; a non-load state in which the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion are substantially on the same plane. The sealing gasket having an inner peripheral portion which is twisted so that an inner peripheral portion of the gasket is higher than an outer peripheral portion thereof when a preload is applied, and which is seated on the inclined seat. A ball valve cartridge as defined in claim 7. 10. The ball valve cartridge defined in claim 8, further comprising: said cartridge housing having a peripheral outer sealing ring to prevent leakage around said cartridge. 11. The ball valve cartridge defined in claim 4, further comprising said cartridge housing having a peripheral outer sealing ring to prevent leakage around said cartridge. 12. A cartridge housing having a seal seat around said upper opening; a sealing gasket seated in said seal seat around said upper opening of said cartridge housing and capable of sealing against said ball valve element. A ball valve cartridge as defined in claim 1, further characterized by: 13. The cartridge of claim 10 further comprising a template member mounted in an upper recess of said cartridge housing proximate said upper opening to limit swing and orbital movement of said control rod. Ball valve cartridge. 14. The ball valve cartridge as defined in claim 12, further comprising said sealing gasket having a radially inward lip for sealingly contacting said ball valve element. 15. The ball valve cartridge as defined in claim 13, further comprising said sealing gasket preloaded so that said lip is pressed against said ball valve element. 16. The seal seat around the upper opening which is slanted in a state where the inner peripheral portion is located higher than the outer peripheral portion; a non-load state where the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion are substantially on the same plane. The sealing gasket having an inner peripheral portion which is twisted so that an inner peripheral portion of the gasket is higher than an outer peripheral portion thereof when a preload is applied, and which is seated on the inclined seat. 13. A ball valve cartridge as defined in claim 12. 17. The ball valve cartridge as defined in claim 16, further comprising said cartridge housing having a peripheral outer sealing ring to prevent leakage around said cartridge. 18. The ball valve cartridge defined in claim 12, further comprising said cartridge housing having a peripheral outer sealing ring to prevent leakage around said cartridge. 19. A mixing valve for a faucet having a ball valve pivotally mounted within a housing body defining a cavity, said body comprising a plurality of inlet ports and an outlet communicating with said cavity. A ball valve having a partially spherical outer valve surface and an opening cooperating with the inlet port to control the flow rate and temperature of the flow mixing through the port; A body having a cover member having a control opening therethrough, wherein the ball valve is coupled to the faucet mixer valve having a control rod extending through the control opening, wherein the cartridge comprises a housing member; The mixing valve, the valve cover of the valve body being separable from the housing member while maintaining the integrity of the cartridge; A cartridge housing having an upper opening; means for pivotally seating the ball valve in the cartridge housing member; a cartridge having a lower opening through which the ball valve projects to cooperate with the inlet port; A cartridge housing having a seal seat around an upper opening; a sealing gasket seated in the seal seat about the upper opening of the cartridge housing and capable of sealing against the ball valve element; and after the valve cover is removed. The faucet mixing valve according to claim 1, wherein said ball valve element is detachable from said valve body as an integral unit while being interconnected to said cartridge housing. 20. The method as defined in claim 19, further comprising a template member mounted in an upper recess of said cartridge housing proximate said upper opening to limit swinging and orbital movement of said control rod. Ball valve cartridge for used faucet. 21. A ball valve cartridge for a faucet as defined in claim 19, further comprising said sealing gasket having a radially inward lip for sealingly contacting said ball valve element. 22. The ball valve cartridge for a faucet as defined in claim 21, further comprising said sealing gasket preloaded so that said lip is pressed against said ball valve element. . 23. The seal seat around the upper opening which is slanted with the inner peripheral portion placed above the outer peripheral portion; a non-load state in which the inner peripheral portion and the outer peripheral portion are substantially on the same plane. The sealing gasket having an inner peripheral portion which is twisted so that an inner peripheral portion of the gasket is higher than an outer peripheral portion thereof when a preload is applied, and which is seated on the inclined seat. A ball valve cartridge for a faucet as defined in claim 22. 24. The means for seating the ball valve having projections extending from both circumferential sides of the ball valve element which can be mated into at least one slot extending circumferentially within the cartridge. 20. The ball valve cartridge for a faucet as defined in claim 19, further comprising: 25. The projection according to claim 24, further comprising a projection formed by a pin extending through said ball valve.
Ball valve cartridge for faucet specified in. 26. The ball valve cartridge for a faucet as defined in claim 25, further comprising said sealing gasket having a radially inward lip for sealingly contacting said ball valve element. 27. The ball valve cartridge for a faucet as defined in claim 26, further comprising said sealing gasket preloaded so that said lip is pressed against said ball valve element. . 28. The faucet ball as defined in claim 27, further comprising said pin having a frictional combination with a lower surface of said at least one circumferentially extending slot. Valve cartridge. 29. The ball valve cartridge for a faucet as defined in claim 28, further comprising said cartridge housing having a peripheral outer sealing ring to prevent leakage around said cartridge. 30. The ball valve cartridge for a faucet as defined in claim 19, further comprising said cartridge housing having a peripheral outer sealing ring to prevent leakage around said cartridge. 31. A faucet mixing valve having a movable valve element mounted within a housing body defining a cavity, said body comprising a plurality of inlet ports and an outlet communicating with said cavity. A port, wherein the movable valve element cooperates with the inlet port to control fluid flow and temperature of a stream mixing through the port, wherein the valve body has a control opening, A mixing valve having a control rod extending through said control opening, wherein said mixing valve is of a cartridge type having a housing member; said cartridge housing member having an upper opening allowing passage of said control rod; said cartridge Means for seating said movable valve element in a housing member; through said movable valve element to cooperate with said inlet port A cartridge housing having a projecting lower opening; a cartridge housing having a seal seat about the upper opening; a seal seating in the seal seat about the upper opening of the cartridge housing and capable of sealing against the movable valve element. Mixing valve characterized by a gasket. 32. A mixing valve as defined in claim 31 further comprising said cartridge housing having a peripheral outer sealing ring to prevent leakage around said cartridge.