WO2001059345A1

WO2001059345A1 - Sanitary faucet

Info

Publication number: WO2001059345A1
Application number: PCT/ES2001/000025
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ramon Soler Fornt
Original assignee: Ramon Soler Fornt
Priority date: 2000-02-14
Filing date: 2001-02-06
Publication date: 2001-08-16
Also published as: ES1045230Y; ES1045230U

Abstract

The invention concerns a sanitary faucet comprising a fixed ceramic disk (13) and a mobile ceramic disk (14) for mixing cold and hot water, the temperature of the mixture depending on the relative degree of rotation between both disks, which are placed in a mixture mechanism box (12). Said box is remotely located relative to the faucet (2), the cold water (15) and hot water (16) lines entering said box and a mixed water conduit (10) leading from said box to the faucet. The movement of the mobile disk (14) is actuated by a reducing motor (21) and a set of gears (19, 20). It also comprises a single lever rotational about a single axis, a temperature sensor (11), an interface for inputting (4, 5) and displaying temperatures, a logical control circuit and a feedback to the circuit for the temperature measured by the sensor. The invention is adapted to automatically regulate the relative position of the disks (13, 14) and, hence, the temperature of the mixture.

Description

"SANITARY TAP"

Technical sector of the invention. - The present invention relates to a sanitary tap for water, comprising a fixed ceramic disk and a mobile ceramic disk, capable of rotating with respect to the fixed disk coaxially thereto, intended to make the mixing of cold water with hot water depending on the degree of relative rotation between the two, with the cold and hot water supply conduits equipped with solenoid valves, and a manual lever for opening and closing the water flow.

State of the art -

A good number of embodiments of sanitary taps equipped with flow and / or temperature limiters are currently known and taps equipped with the electronic regulation of these parameters are also known. Of these, faucets capable of maintaining the temperature at a certain level are often referred to as thermostatic. On the other hand, the use in sanitary taps of the so-called mono-controls is known, of which there are a large number of variants, in particular those consisting of a fixed ceramic disk and a mobile ceramic disk, capable of rotating with respect to the fixed disk coaxially to the It is also intended for mixing cold water with hot water depending on the degree of relative rotation between them and capable of moving longitudinally with at least a degree of freedom to open and close the flow of mixed water.

Automatic sanitary faucets are also known, in which the closing and opening of the water flow is carried out automatically, activated by means electronic

It is not known, however, a tap that is both thermostatic and automatic and in which at the same time use is made of the aforementioned ceramic disc of the mixer taps.

Such conventional thermostatic faucets, which have achieved great popularity thanks to their comfort and versatility, are not exempt from inconveniences and practical problems, which are explained below.

In the first place, conventional taps must be calibrated in their manufacture at very precise pressures and inlet temperatures, in order to be able to ensure a determined mixing temperature by choosing it through a knob. Thus, at the time the tap is placed by the user, it must be re-tared, since the temperature and pressures of the inputs are usually different, although it still does not ensure that on another occasion, when the conditions of entry of the waters vary, the temperature that has been chosen is achieved.

In addition, with conventional systems, regulating the temperature of the outlet water by plus or minus 0.5 ° C is very difficult.

On the other hand, in conventional systems it is necessary to place some inlet filters, since impurities can impair its operation.

Another drawback that conventional taps of this type suffer is that the verification of having achieved or not the selected temperature is only possible by touching the water, for example by hand. To know more accurately, a thermometer must be installed.

Finally, in conventional faucets the response time from when a new temperature is chosen until it is achieved at the outlet of the mixed water. It is usually longer than one second, which is for practical purposes, an excessive response time, since if for example the cold water network pressure drops sharply, the mixing water can rise in temperature too sharply and in the case of a shower, the person who uses it can burn.

The present invention aims to provide a simultaneous solution to all these inconveniences and problems.

Explanation of the invention. -

For this purpose, the present invention provides a sanitary faucet, of novel concept and functionality, which in essence is characterized in that the disks are located in a mixing mechanism box, to which the cold and hot water and water ducts enter which leads to the tap a mixed water conduit, the movement of the mobile disk being driven by motor means, and the assembly comprising a temperature probe, disposed downstream of the mixing mechanism box, introduction means by a user of a mixing water control temperature, a logical control circuit and a feedback of the temperature measured by the probe to said circuit, the assembly being adapted to regulate the displacement of said motor means, and consequently the rotation of the mobile disk in order to adjust the relative position of the disks so that the outlet temperature of the mixing water follows the temperature of co ntrol entered by the user, automatically regulated.

According to another feature of the present invention, the fixed disk has two inlet openings of gradually increasing width, provided for the entry respectively of the cold and heated water, and an opening of salt. lida, destined for the mixing water outlet, and because the mobile disk has at least one cavity in its face destined to be in front of the fixed disk, adapted to drive the cold water from the inlet openings to the outlet opening of the fixed disk, the opposite side of the mobile disk being closed.

Preferably, the openings of the fixed disk and the cavity or cavities of the mobile disk are adapted in its design so that when the flow of hot water increases, the flow of cold water is maintained or decreased, and vice versa, so that the flow of mixing water remains substantially constant or not very variable.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mixing mechanism box, and therefore the disks, are remotely located with respect to the tap.

Alternatively, the mixing mechanism box, and therefore the discs, are located inside the faucet body itself.

According to another characteristic of the present invention, said motor means are constituted by a reduction motor and a set of gears that transmit the rotation movement of the motor to the mobile disk.

Preferably, the gear set is formed by a pinion, integral with the rotation of the reduction motor shaft, and a wheel, which meshes with the pinion and which is integral with the mobile disc.

According to another feature of the sanitary tap of the present invention, the logic control circuit is integrated in an electrical and electronic panel, independent of the mixing mechanism box, which receives as inputs the power supply, the control temperature signals entered by the user and the temperature measured by the probe, and whose output is an activation signal of the opening or closing of the solenoid valves and the excitation signal of the motor means of the mixing mechanism box.

According to another characteristic of the invention, said excitation signal of the motor means is of a variable magnitude depending on the degree of rotation, in either of the two directions, of the mobile disk with respect to the fixed disk.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the tap comprises means to be inferred with a user, for the manual introduction of the mixing water regulation temperature and the display of said control temperature and the actual temperature measured by the sensor.

Preferably, said inferring means are constituted by a keyboard and a temperature display.

Said inferring means may be arranged in the tap head or, alternatively, remotely from the tap.

It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that, thanks to the new and inventive features of the present invention, with this new tap it is possible to achieve an exact outlet temperature in a totally independent way from the cold and hot water inlet conditions. While with conventional systems, regulating the temperature of the mixing water in a range of +/- 0.5 ° C is very difficult, with this new tap, this can be achieved with greater reliability.

In addition, the tap of the invention makes it possible to dispense with filters, since impurities do not impair its operation.

With the new tap, it is possible to know the temperature of the mixing water at all times, and therefore it is safer to use. The response time, from when a new temperature is chosen until this temperature is achieved in the mixing water, can be much lower than those of conventional faucets. In particular, the response time of the tap of the invention can be less than 0.5 seconds.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the possibility of the tap of the present invention of having a single lever lever that rotates only on one axis, greatly simplifies the constitution of the tap itself. Such a lever, intended to open and close the flow of mixing water, may be present in the tap itself, or remotely disposed thereof.

Finally, it should be noted that the possibility of installing the disks and their drive mechanism remotely with respect to the tap, as well as that only one duct arrives at the latter, allows a wide variety of installation possibilities.

Brief description of the drawings. -

The following is a description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the single-lever sanitary tap object of the present invention, for which better understanding is accompanied by drawings, given merely by way of non-limiting example, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the assembly of a sanitary tap according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective and exploded view, seen from above, of the ceramic discs and the motor means, together with the hot and cold water and mixing water ducts; Fig. 3 is a perspective and exploded view of the ceramic and wheel and pinion discs of the motor means, analogous to Fig. 2, although viewed from below; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing in more detail the faucet body of the present invention.

Detailed description of the drawings. -

In these drawings, the constitution and the operating mode of the sanitary faucet in question can be distinguished (in this example of a washbasin tap), whose main functionality is that the temperature of the mixing water is regulated automatically, once it has been indicated a desired outlet water temperature. This regulation is achieved through the controls of an interface 1 that can be installed in the same tap 2 (See Figs. 1 and 4). This interface 1 may consist of a display 3, in which the temperature of the mixed water is indicated, a temperature increase button or control 4 and a temperature decrease button or control 5.

In the same Figs. 1 and 4 it can be seen that the tap 2 contains a lever 6 for opening and closing the mixed water flow. The lever 6 acts only on the flow of the mixing water and rotates on a single axis. This lever 6 operates a valve (not shown) present inside the tap 2 that allows more or less water to pass until it is completely closed. If lever 6 is raised, tap 2 is opened and if it is lowered, it is closed. This lever 6 also incorporates in its interior a switch (not shown in the drawings), which indicates an electrical and electronic panel 8 through a channel 9, if the tap 2 is closed or open, as shown in Fig. 1. Tap 2 only gets mixed water through of a mixing water conduit 10 incorporating a probe 11 for the temperature reading of the mixed water (Figs. 1 and 2).

A box of mixing mechanisms 12 of hot and cold water contains two discs: a fixed ceramic disk 13 and a mobile ceramic disk 14, which serve to mix the hot and cold water that arrives through the cold inlet ducts 15 and hot 16. In Fig. 1 the coupling of such box 12 to the tap assembly is shown, while in Figs. 2 and 3 its constitution can be seen, in exploding views.

The discs 13 and 14 are of a material and a suitable form so that the contact between them does not allow water to pass through the contact surface. In the particular embodiment shown in the drawings, the fixed disk 13 has three openings: two cold and hot water inlet sides 131 and a mixed water outlet center 133.

The mobile disk 14 has two cavities 25 and 26, distinguishable in Fig. 3, whose function is to drive the cold and / or hot inlet water from the external part of the mobile disk 14 itself towards the center thereof, where It will be mixed from this point. As can be seen in Fig. 2, the mobile disk 14 is closed from above. In the embodiment explained, the openings 131 and 132 of the fixed disk 13 are located in an extreme and diametrically opposite arrangement in the radial direction, and are of increasing aperture.

The water flow (for example cold) enters through the cold water connection 15 to the fixed disk 13, which, through its opening 131, guides the cold water into the cavity 25 of the mobile disk 14, the water leaving cold through the central part of the mobile disk 14, where it is mixed with the hot water, subjected to an analogous route along the opening 132 and conduit 26, returning to the fixed disk 13, through the outlet opening 133 of mixed water.

The mobile disk 14 has the peculiarity of being able to rotate on its axis through a mechanism driven by motor means 10, 20 and 21 described below. Thus, depending on the position of the mobile disk 14, the flow of cold and hot water varies. When the flow of cold water increases, that of hot water decreases and vice versa. The system can completely close either cold water or hot water, but not both at the same time. When the flow of a water flow, cold or hot, is zero, the other flow is at its maximum flow. In short, when the flow of hot water increases, the flow of cold water decreases, and vice versa, so that the flow of mixing water remains substantially constant.

In the event that the cold and hot water inlet pressures are very different, there may be problems since one inlet can reverse the flow of the other. To avoid this, it is convenient to place a non-return valve at the inlet of each connection, although it would be preferable to place a pressure regulating valve for each inlet. The fixed disk 13 is placed in a cavity 171 of a base 17 of which a mechanism box 12 is provided, in which the disks 13 and 14 and the said motor means 19, 20 and 21 are housed for controlled and regulated drive of the rotation of the mobile disk 14 with respect to the fixed 13.

The base 17 receives the connection of the three connections of cold water 15 and hot water 16 and mixed output 10. So that there is no leak between the fixed disk 13 and the cavity 171, a special gasket is incorporated, not represented in the drawings.

In Fig. 1 it can be seen that the mixing mechanism box 12, and therefore the disks 13 and 14 and the motor means 19, 20 and 21 are remotely located with respect to the tap 2, although, within the scope of the present The invention also contemplates the possibility of such a mixing mechanism box 12 being located, together with the elements it contains, inside the body of the tap 2. In particular, according to an embodiment of the invention, said means motors are constituted by a reduction motor 21 and a set of gears 19, 20, which transmit the movement of the motor 21 to the moving disk 14. The gear set is formed in this case by a pinion 20, integral with the rotation of the axis 211 of the reduction motor 21, and a wheel 19, which meshes with the pinion 20 and which is integral with the movable disk 14, for which the latter is subject, for example, by keyed in a central housing 191 of the wheel 19. The engine 21 is s subject by the external part in a cover 22 of the mechanism box 12, which closes so that the disks 13 and 14 are trapped and without the possibility of moving longitudinally to the axis 211 of the motor 21. Axially there must be a small play which is absorbed by an elastic element 18, for example a spring 18, and in this way the mobile disk is not blocked nor does a game occur between the two discs 13 and 14, a circumstance that would cause the loss of water immediately. If the seal mentioned above, not shown in the drawings, is sufficiently elastic, the spring 18 may be the seal itself.

Said electrical and electronic panel 8 can be electrically powered in several ways. In this an example is considered a 24 V supply through a transistor 27 of 220 V to 24 V. But there are other possibilities, such as that incorporating a 24 V battery or battery (see Fig. 1) or another more sophisticated system - ticated, such as a current generator through the flow of water and that would charge a battery.

As the disks 13, 14 never close the two waters, and when the water is closed through the lever, a static pressure can be created that can sometimes become too high and there may be a certain risk of water loss due to somewhere. For this, it is best that the electrical signal of the lever 6 in the closed position be used to close the inlet solenoid valves 24 of the hot and cold water connections 16, and so that there is no overpressure in the entire circuit, The valve operated by the lever 6 must not close completely and thus leave the circuit pressure at atmospheric pressure.

The electrical and electronic panel 8 is the connection center of all the elements such as the motor 21, the probe 11, the solenoid valves 24, the switch, the sight glass 3 and the controls 4 and 5.

The electrical and electronic panel 8 contains the means necessary to record with a convenient sampling period the temperature readings of the probe 11 and that the entire control system responds according to a determined control algorithm, supplemented by software, in microchip or wired logic, in a logic control circuit incorporated in the electrical and electronic panel 8.

By way of example, a possible alternative and non-limiting configuration and operating mode of the tap of the present invention is explained below.

The temperature display 3 will mark the temperature that It has been programmed through knobs 4 and 5 and as long as the desired temperature is not reached, the display 3 will flash rapidly in the case of being far from the desired temperature and slowly in the case of being near the desired temperature until you leave flashing, which will indicate that the desired temperature has been reached with an error margin of for example +/- 0.5 ° C.

At the moment when the temperature increase control 4 is pressed and it increases for example 2 ° C, (for example up to 27 ° C), the order is immediately sent to the electrical and electronic panel 8. At the same time readings are made of the probe 11 and an average is performed to give a given temperature as valid (for example 25 ° C). It is thus detected that the temperature of the mixed water must be increased by 2 ° C and for this it will be necessary to increase the flow of hot water and decrease the flow of cold water. For this, the system gives the DC motor 21 the order to turn in the proper direction so that it opens the hot water passage and closes the cold water passage.

The rotation of the motor 21, and therefore of the mobile disk 14 with respect to the fixed disk 13, is proportional to the necessary or desired temperature increase. For example, in the case that it was for example 1 ° C instead of 2 ° C, the motor 21 turns less and, if it had been 3 ° C instead of 2 ° C, the motor rotates more. In this way the mixing temperature can be controlled very accurately and every time it varies, and so is detected by the probe 11, so that the set is an automatic regulation system, with feedback through the detected mixing temperature by probe 11.

The tap assembly must have a safety device so that the temperature does not exceed a value of lor stipulated, such as for example 42 ° C. This can be programmed in the electrical and electronic panel 8. However, this can also be done manually, by programming the keys of the interface 1, for example in case you want a higher temperature, for example by pressing the two buttons 5 and 4, and then pressing only the temperature increase button 4 and thus configure an increase greater than 42 ° C. In this case, when the tap 2 is closed, such manual programming is canceled, and when it is reopened, it must be reconfigured.

Preferably, the probe 11 should be as close as possible to the beginning of the mixed water connection, but it should also be taken into account that it is necessary to allow time for the water to mix perfectly, for which a filter can be incorporated at the beginning of the connection so that the flow is turbulent, although without the production of noise in the pipes.

Finally, to avoid the production of short circuits and that no cable is in contact with water or tap metal, even though the power supply is only 24 V, the entire system must be adequately protected.

Describing sufficiently the nature of the present invention, as well as the way of putting it into practice, it is stated that everything that does not alter or modify its fundamental principle can be subjected to variations of detail, being the main thing, and therefore patent of invention is requested, for twenty years, which is glossed in the following claims.

Claims

RE IVI ND IC AC I ONE S

1.- Sanitary tap for water, comprising a fixed ceramic disc (13) and a mobile ceramic disc (14), capable of rotating with respect to the fixed disc coaxially to it, intended to make the mixing of cold water with hot water dependently of the relative degree of rotation between the two, the cold (15) and hot (16) water supply conduits having solenoid valves (24), and a manual lever (6) for opening and closing the water flow, characterized in that The discs are located in a mixing mechanism box (12), which enters the cold (15) and hot (16) water conduits and from which a mixed water conduit (10) goes out to the tap, the movement of the mobile disk (14) driven by motor means (19, 20, 21), and the assembly comprising a temperature probe (11), arranged downstream of the mixing mechanism box (12), introducing means (4, 5) by a user of a control temperature of the mixing water, a logic control circuit and a feedback of the temperature measured by the probe to said circuit, the assembly being adapted to regulate the displacement of said motor means, and consequently the rotation of the mobile disk (14) in order to adjust the relative position of the disks (13, 14) so that the outlet temperature of the mixing water follows the control temperature entered by the user, automatically adjusting.

2. Sanitary tap according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixed disk has two inlet openings (131 and 132) of gradually increasing width, provided for the entry respectively of cold water and hot, and an outlet opening (133), intended for the output of the mixing water, and because the mobile disk (14) has at least one cavity (25, 26) on its face intended to face the fixed, adapted disk to drive the cold water from the inlet openings (131, 132) to the outlet opening (133) of the fixed disk (13), the opposite side of the mobile disc being closed.

3. - Sanitary tap according to claim 2, characterized in that the openings (131, 132 and 133) of the fixed disk (13) and the cavity or cavities (25, 26) of the mobile disk (14), are adapted in their design so that when the flow of hot water increases, the flow of cold water is maintained or decreased, and vice versa, so that the flow of mixing water remains substantially constant or slightly variable.

4. Sanitary tap according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the mixing mechanism box (12), and therefore the disks (13, 14), are remotely located with respect to the tap (2).

5. Sanitary tap according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the mixing mechanism box (12), and therefore the disks (13, 14), are located inside the tap body itself (2).

6. Sanitary tap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said motor means are constituted by a reduction motor (21) and a set of gears (19, 20) that transmit the movement thereof to the mobile disk (14) .

7. Sanitary tap claim 6, characterized in that the gear set is formed by a pinion (20), integral with the rotation of the reduction motor shaft (21), and a wheel (19), which meshes with the pinion (20 ) and that it is in solidarity with the mobile disk (14).

8- Sanitary tap according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control logic circuit is integrated in an electrical and electronic panel (8), independent of the mixing mechanism box (12), which receives as inputs the power supply, the control temperature signals entered by the user and the temperature measured by the probe (11), and having as an output an activation signal of the opening or closing of the solenoid valves and the excitation signal of the motor means (19, 20, 21) of the mixing mechanism box (12).

9. - Sanitary tap according to claim 8, characterized in that said excitation signal of the motor means (19, 20, 21) is of a variable magnitude depending on the degree of rotation, in either of the two directions, of the mobile disk ( 14) with respect to the fixed disk (13).

10. - Sanitary tap according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means of inferring (1) with a user, for the manual introduction of the mixing water regulation temperature and the display of said control temperature and of the actual temperature measured by the sensor (11) •

11. - Sanitary tap according to claim 10, characterized in that said inferring means (1) are constituted by a keyboard (4, 5) and a temperature display (3).

12. Sanitary tap according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that said means of inferred (1) are arranged in the tap head (2).

13. Sanitary tap according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that said means of inferred (1) are remotely disposed of the tap (2).