U.S. patent application number 12/466793 was filed with the patent office on 2009-11-26 for mixing sillcock.
Invention is credited to Michael A. Brattoli, Mark S. Kacik, Christopher Relyea, Mathew Smith, Allen Talley.
Application Number | 20090288716 12/466793 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34748727 |
Filed Date | 2009-11-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090288716 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Brattoli; Michael A. ; et
al. |
November 26, 2009 |
MIXING SILLCOCK
Abstract
In one embodiment, a frost-free sillcock is provided. The
sillcock has a single handle which rotates to control the
temperature of the discharged fluid. The handle also moves axially
toward and away from a mounting surface to control the volume of
fluid discharged from the sillcock. Furthermore, the sillcock has
valve components disposed on the inside of the mounting surface
which can be serviced from outside of the mounting surface
Inventors: |
Brattoli; Michael A.;
(Elyria, OH) ; Kacik; Mark S.; (Strongsville,
OH) ; Relyea; Christopher; (Columbus, OH) ;
Smith; Mathew; (Wooster, OH) ; Talley; Allen;
(Hudson, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CALFEE HALTER & GRISWOLD, LLP
800 SUPERIOR AVENUE, SUITE 1400
CLEVELAND
OH
44114
US
|
Family ID: |
34748727 |
Appl. No.: |
12/466793 |
Filed: |
May 15, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11036730 |
Jan 14, 2005 |
7533686 |
|
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12466793 |
|
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60481907 |
Jan 16, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
137/360 ;
137/625 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E03B 9/025 20130101;
E03B 7/12 20130101; Y10T 137/86493 20150401; Y10T 137/86815
20150401; Y10T 137/698 20150401; F16K 31/46 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
137/360 ;
137/625 |
International
Class: |
F16L 5/00 20060101
F16L005/00; F15C 1/00 20060101 F15C001/00 |
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A frost-free mixing sillcock comprising: a spout for mounting
on an exterior of a building; a valve body for mounting inside the
building, the valve body having inlets for connecting to a hot
water supply and a cold water supply, and the valve body having an
outlet; a single handle operable to independently adjust
temperature and flow rate of water discharging from the spout; and
a cartridge assembly operable to mix water from the hot water
supply and the cold water supply for delivery through the outlet,
the cartridge assembly operable to be disposed at least partially
within the valve body; wherein the cartridge assembly includes at
least one assembly mechanism for removably securing the cartridge
assembly relative to the valve body.
22. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 21, wherein the outlet
of the valve body defines an opening, the opening being sized and
shaped to allow at least a portion of the cartridge assembly to
pass therethrough.
23. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 22, wherein passage of
the at least a portion of the cartridge assembly through the
opening, during insertion of the cartridge assembly in the valve
body, causes the assembly mechanism to pass through the opening and
engage the valve body to secure the cartridge assembly relative to
the valve body.
24. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 23, wherein application
of an axial force is operable to allow removal of the cartridge
assembly from the valve body.
25. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 21, wherein the
assembly mechanism includes a camming surface.
26. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 21, wherein the
assembly mechanism is a pair of snap wings.
27. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 21, further comprising:
a piston having at least one aperture disposed therein, the piston
being at least partially disposed within the cartridge assembly;
and a stem disposed within a conduit and the spout, the stem being
connected to the single handle at a first end and to the piston at
a second end; wherein the conduit extends between the valve body
and the spout; and wherein movement of the piston corresponds to
movement of the single handle.
28. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 27, wherein the
cartridge assembly has a first aperture that is operable to allow
hot water from the hot water supply to flow therethrough, and a
second aperture that is operable to allow cold water from the cold
water supply to flow therethrough; wherein the piston has a first
aperture corresponding to the first aperture of the cartridge
assembly and a second aperture corresponding to the second aperture
of the cartridge assembly; wherein the first aperture and the
second aperture of the cartridge assembly are axially offset from
each other; and wherein the first aperture and the second aperture
of the piston are axially offset from each other.
29. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 27, wherein a back plug
is disposed on a rear end of the piston; wherein a stem plug is
disposed on a front end of the piston; and wherein a vent tube is
disposed through the back plug, through the piston, and through the
stem plug to allow air pressure behind the back plug to vent
through the vent tube, into the stem, and out the spout.
30. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 27, wherein a
connection mechanism connects the stem and the piston.
31. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 21, wherein the
cartridge assembly is operable to be serviced from the exterior of
the building without unmounting the spout from the building.
32. A frost-free mixing sillcock comprising: a spout for mounting
on an exterior of a building; a valve body for mounting inside the
building, the valve body having inlets for connecting to a hot
water supply and a cold water supply, and the valve body having an
outlet; a single handle operable to independently adjust
temperature and flow rate of water discharging from the spout; and
a cartridge assembly operable to mix water from the hot water
supply and the cold water supply for delivery through the outlet,
the cartridge assembly operable to be disposed at least partially
within the valve body; wherein the cartridge assembly includes a
first alignment mechanism; wherein the valve body includes a second
alignment mechanism; and wherein the first alignment mechanism and
the second alignment mechanism are operable to interface to
properly align the cartridge assembly relative to the inlets of the
valve body.
33. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 32, wherein the outlet
of the valve body defines an opening, the opening being sized and
shaped to allow at least a portion of the cartridge assembly to
pass therethrough.
34. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 33, wherein the first
alignment mechanism is a protrusion formed on an outer surface of
the cartridge assembly; and wherein the second alignment mechanism
is a notch formed in the valve body such that the at least a
portion of the cartridge assembly can fit into the valve body in
only one orientation.
35. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 32, further comprising:
a piston having at least one aperture disposed therein, the piston
being at least partially disposed within the cartridge assembly;
and a stem disposed within a conduit and the spout, the stem being
connected to the single handle at a first end and to the piston at
a second end; wherein the conduit extends between the valve body
and the spout; and wherein movement of the piston corresponds to
movement of the single handle.
36. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 35, wherein the
cartridge assembly has a first aperture that is operable to allow
hot water from the hot water supply to flow therethrough, and a
second aperture that is operable to allow cold water from the cold
water supply to flow therethrough; wherein the piston has a first
aperture corresponding to the first aperture of the cartridge
assembly and a second aperture corresponding to the second aperture
of the cartridge assembly; wherein the first aperture and the
second aperture of the cartridge assembly are axially offset from
each other; and wherein the first aperture and the second aperture
of the piston are axially offset from each other.
37. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 35, wherein a back plug
is disposed on a rear end of the piston; wherein a stem plug is
disposed on a front end of the piston; and wherein a vent tube is
disposed through the back plug, through the piston, and through the
stem plug to allow air pressure behind the back plug to vent
through the vent tube, into the stem, and out the spout.
38. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 35, wherein a
connection mechanism connects the stem and the piston
39. The frost-free mixing sillcock of claim 32, wherein the
cartridge assembly is operable to be serviced from the exterior of
the building without unmounting the spout from the building.
40. A frost-free mixing sillcock comprising: a spout for mounting
on an exterior of a building; a valve body for mounting inside the
building, the valve body having inlets for connecting to a hot
water supply and a cold water supply, and the valve body having an
outlet; a single handle operable to independently adjust
temperature and flow rate of water discharging from the spout; and
a cartridge assembly operable to mix water from the hot water
supply and the cold water supply for delivery through the outlet,
the cartridge assembly operable to be disposed at least partially
within the valve body; wherein the cartridge assembly includes at
least one assembly mechanism for removably securing the cartridge
assembly relative to the valve body; wherein the cartridge assembly
includes a first alignment mechanism; wherein the valve body
includes a second alignment mechanism; and wherein the first
alignment mechanism and the second alignment mechanism are operable
to interface to properly align the cartridge assembly relative to
the inlets of the valve body.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Nonprovisional
application Ser. No. 11/036,730, filed on Jan. 14, 2005, which
claims priority to, and any other benefit of, U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 60/481,907, filed on Jan. 16, 2004, which is
hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention relates to a sillcock, and more
specifically to a frost-free mixing sillcock with a replaceable
cartridge.
[0003] In many geographic areas, freezing temperatures cause
problems with sillcocks as a result of the water within the
sillcock freezing. Since water expands when it freezes, the
expansion can cause components of the sillcock to become damaged.
To avoid this problem, some sillcocks come with an elongated stem
that, when installed, places its valve components inside the
building, thus preventing the water from sitting near the exterior
of the building and the freezing temperature. The placement of the
valve components on the inside of the building requires any
servicing of the valve components to be done from the inside of the
building. Consequently, if the valve components are disposed behind
a finished interior wall, access to the valve components is not
convenient and servicing the valve components becomes a difficult
project.
SUMMARY
[0004] In one embodiment, a frost-free mixing sillcock is provided.
The sillcock has a single handle which rotates to control the
temperature of the discharged fluid. The handle also moves axially
toward and away from a mounting surface to control the volume of
fluid discharged from the sillcock. Furthermore, the sillcock has
valve components disposed on the inside of the mounting surface
which can be serviced from outside of the mounting surface.
[0005] Numerous other advantages and features of the present
invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed
description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the
claims and from the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The invention as well as embodiments and advantages thereof
are described below in greater detail, by way of example, with
reference to the drawings in which:
[0007] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a sillcock in accordance
with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the sillcock of FIG. 1A
when installed on a mounting surface of a house;
[0009] FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the sillcock of FIG. 1B
with the mounting surface shown in phantom;
[0010] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the sillcock of
FIG. 1A;
[0011] FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the cartridge of FIG.
2;
[0012] FIG. 3B is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge of
FIG. 2;
[0013] FIG. 3C is a side elevational view of the cartridge of FIG.
2;
[0014] FIG. 3D is a side elevational view of the cartridge of FIG.
2 rotated 90.degree. from the view shown in FIG. 3C;
[0015] FIG. 3E is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG.
3C taken along the B-B line;
[0016] FIG. 4A is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge and
valve body of FIG. 2;
[0017] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional top view of the cartridge as
installed within the valve body of FIG. 4A;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the assembly of the
sillcock of FIG. 1C is shown;
[0019] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a sillcock in accordance
with a second embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the sillcock of FIG.
6;
[0021] FIG. 8 is a magnified cross-sectional view of a spout end of
the sillcock of FIG. 6;
[0022] FIG. 9 is a magnified cross-sectional view of a valve end of
the sillcock of FIG. 6;
[0023] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the fluid mixing
assembly of FIG. 6;
[0024] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a valve body in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0025] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a valve body in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many
different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will be
described herein in detail specific embodiments thereof with the
understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an
exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not
intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments
illustrated.
[0027] In one embodiment, a frost-free mixing sillcock 10 is
provided as shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. The sillcock 10 includes a valve
body 12, a body sub-assembly 14, and a handle 16. The valve body 12
is located at a distal end of the sillcock 10 and includes two
inputs 18 and a single output 19 (FIG. 2). A hot water line is
attached to one of the inputs 18 and a cold water line is attached
to the other input 18. The valve body 12 is attached to the body
sub-assembly 14. The sillcock 10 is mounted on a mounting surface
20 of a building or house 22.
[0028] Now referring to FIG. 2, an exploded view of the components
of the sillcock 10 are shown. A cartridge 24 is disposed partially
within the valve body 12 and partially within the body sub-assembly
14. The cartridge 24 is attached to a shaft 26. The cartridge 24
fits into the output 19 of the valve body 12 such as to form a
water tight seal.
[0029] Now referring to FIGS. 3A-3E, the cartridge 24 is shown in
various views. The cartridge 24 includes a cartridge shell 28, a
piston 30 and may include one or more grommets 32. The shell 28
includes two ports 34 that align with the inputs 18 of the valve
body 12 when the cartridge 24 is assembled into the valve body 12.
The grommet 32 is located on the shell 28 about the ports 34 and
provides a seal so that water can flow through the valve body 12
and into the cartridge shell 28.
[0030] Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the cartridge 24 installed
within the valve body 12 is shown. The cartridge 24 may also
include an alignment mechanism 36 and an assembly mechanism 40. The
alignment mechanism 36, shown in the drawings as a protrusion 37
along a portion of the cartridge shell 28 and a notch 38 in the
valve body 12, allows the cartridge 24 to be removed for
inspection, maintenance or replacement, and then reconnected in a
uniform manner that aligns the cartridge 24, and piston 30 within
the valve body 12. The assembly mechanism 40 allows the cartridge
24 to be removed from and replaced into the valve body 12 with
ease. Specifically, the assembly mechanism 40 allows the cartridge
24 to be removed without need to access the connection point
between the body sub assembly 14 and the valve body 12. The figures
illustrate one such assembly mechanism 40. A pair of snap wings are
used to hold the cartridge 24 within the valve body 12. The wings
are compressed within the opening 19 of the valve body 12 and the
ends of the wings engage the end of the opening 19. When the
cartridge 24 is removed, axial force is applied to the cartridge
24, whereby the ends of the wings cam against the end of the
opening 19, thereby allowing removal of the cartridge 24.
[0031] The piston 30 is attached to the shaft 26 with a connection
pin 42 or other connection mechanism. Preferably the connection
mechanism is easily removable, thereby allowing easy change of the
cartridge 24. The piston 30 is moved by the shaft 26 in two
directions, in and out of the cartridge shell 28 and rotating about
its axis within the shell 28. The piston 30 includes two portions.
The first portion 44 is solid all around the axis of the piston 30
and aligns with the shell ports 34 when the piston 30 is moved into
the cartridge shell 28. The second portion 46 is partially solid
with a gap 48 formed about one quarter to one half of the total
circumference of the piston 30. The second portion 46 aligns with
the shell ports 34 when the piston 30 is pulled outward away from
the shell 28. Preferably the piston 30 includes a stop that
prevents the piston 30 from totally withdrawing from the cartridge
shell 28. It is also preferable that the shaft 26 includes a stop
that limits the distance the piston 30 travels into the cartridge
shell 28. The second portion 46 is designed such that it can be
rotated between two positions, with a stop preventing further
rotation in each of the respective directions. When the piston 30
is rotated fully to a first temperature position, a solid portion
50 (FIG. 5) of the second portion 46 of the piston 30 aligns with a
first port 34 in the cartridge shell 28, while the gap 48 aligns
with the other port 34 in the cartridge shell 28. When the piston
30 is rotated to the second temperature position, the solid portion
50 aligns with the second port 34 in the cartridge shell 28, while
the gap 48 aligns with the first port 34. When in one of these two
temperature positions, either the hot water line or the cold water
line is fully open. To mix the hot water and the cold water, the
piston 30 is rotated to a position in between the full open
positions, thereby opening each line a portion of the way. The
total flow of water can be controlled by moving the piston 30 in
and out of the cartridge shell 28. When the piston 30 is all of the
way in the cartridge shell 28, or as far in as provided by the
stop, the water flow is shut off. When the piston 30 is pulled
outward away from the cartridge shell 28, as far as provided for by
the stop, the flow is at its maximum. Positioning the piston 30 in
between these two positions allows for controlling the flow of
water.
[0032] Referring now to FIG. 5, a cross-sectional view of the
assembly of the sillcock 10 is shown. The piston 30 connects to the
shaft 26, which rotates within the body sub-assembly 14. The handle
16 is fitted to an end 52 of the shaft 26, which allows for the
easy turning of the shaft 26 as well as moving the shaft 26 outward
away from the cartridge shell 28 or inward toward the cartridge
shell 28. The movement of the shaft 26, either rotationally or
axially, moves the piston 30 likewise. Movement of the handle 16
rotationally controls the temperature of the water, while movement
of the handle 16 axially controls the flow of water. The handle 16
may include a handle cap 54 with a temperature-direction indicator,
such as, for example, a color coded indicator. O-rings and a
retention nut 56 are also used to provide a water-tight
passageway.
[0033] To operate the sillcock 10, the handle 16 is pulled outward
away from the side of the house 22, or other attachment area. Water
flows from the valve body 12 and enters the cartridge shell 28
through the ports 34. The water continues through the shell 28 and
through the piston 30 and then flows out the end of the piston 30
and through the slots (not shown) in the shaft 26. Water flows
around the shaft 26 and then out the spigot 58. The temperature of
the water can be controlled by turning the handle 16, a first
direction for hot water and a second direction for cold water.
Additionally, flow of water can be controlled by moving the handle
16 in and out with respect to the point of attachment.
[0034] The sillcock 10 allows for a single entrance point into the
house 22, or other attachment area. Since the valve body 12 is
located within the home 22, water can be mixed and flow out through
a single freeze-proof faucet 58. Additionally, since the sillcock
10 includes an attachment mechanism (retention nut 56) that allows
for removal of the cartridge 24 through a single opening in the
front of the faucet, the cartridge 24 can be removed for
maintenance, inspection, and replacement with relative ease. The
alignment feature (alignment mechanism 36) allows a cartridge 24
that has been removed to be replaced in the correct alignment,
thereby ensuring the ports 34 align with the valve body inputs
18.
[0035] In a second embodiment, a frost-free mixing sillcock 60 is
provided. FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the sillcock. FIG. 7
shows a cross-sectional view of the sillcock 60, with a magnified
view of the spout end shown in FIG. 8 and a magnified view of the
valve body end shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 shows an exploded view of a
fluid mixing assembly 61 of the sillcock 60. Referring to FIGS.
6-10, the sillcock 60 includes a spout 62, spout tube 64 and a
valve body 66. As with the first embodiment discussed above, the
spout 62, when installed, is disposed on the outside of the house
or building upon which it is mounted. The spout tube 64 is a
conduit that connects the spout 62 with the valve body 66. When
installed, the majority of the spout tube 64 and the valve body 66
are disposed on the inside of the house (or building).
[0036] At a front end 68 of the spout 62, a handle 70 is disposed.
The handle 70 is operable to move axially toward and away from the
spout 62 to adjust the flow rate of the fluid that is discharged
from an outlet 72 of the spout 62. Additionally, the handle 70 is
operable to rotate to adjust the temperature of the fluid that is
discharged from the outlet 72 of the spout 62.
[0037] The handle 70 is attached by a fastening member 74 to a stem
76 disposed in the spout 62 and in the spout tube 64. The stem 76
is held in place by a retaining nut 78 which is screw threaded onto
the front end 68 of the spout 62. The stem 76 is hollow and allows
air to pass therethrough. The stem 76 is also disposed within a
cartridge retainer 80, which in turn, is disposed within the spout
62 and the spout tube 64. The cartridge retainer 80 is a hollow
conduit that has a drain hole 82 disposed near and aligned with the
outlet 72 of the spout 62. The cartridge retainer 80 is held in
place by the retaining nut 78.
[0038] A cartridge 86 is disposed on an interior end 84 of the
cartridge retainer 80. The cartridge 86 comprises an inner shell 88
and an outer shell 90. The inner shell 88 is disposed within the
outer shell 90. Additionally, the inner shell 88 has two ports 92,
93 disposed therethrough which align with two ports 94, 95 disposed
through the outer shell 90. The ports 92, 93, 94, 95 allow fluid to
flow from the valve body 66 into the cartridge 86. When installed,
the cartridge 86 sits within the valve body 66.
[0039] On an outer surface 96 of the inner shell 88, a pair of
grommets 98 are disposed. The grommets 98 provide a seal between
the outer shell 90 and a piston 110. On an outer surface 100 of the
outer shell 90, a pair of check valves 102 and a pair of shouldered
O-rings 104 are disposed. The check valves 102 prevent fluid from
being siphoned back into the fluid supply lines (not shown) which
are connected to inlets 106, 107 of the valve body 66. The O-rings
104 provide a seal between the valve body 66 and the outer shell
90.
[0040] The inner shell 88 is attached to the cartridge retainer 80
using an assembly mechanism 108 similar to the one described above
with respect to the first embodiment.
[0041] The piston 110 is disposed, at least partially, within the
inner shell 88. The piston 110 is a hollow conduit having a pair of
apertures 112, 113, which when aligned with the ports 92, 94 and
93, 95, respectively allow fluid to flow into the piston 110 and
toward the spout 62. The apertures 112, 113 of the piston 110 are
offset to correspond to the offset positions of the ports 92, 94
and 93, 95. The piston 110 is disposed between a back plug 114 and
a stem plug 116. The stem plug 116 is attached to the stem 76 which
is in turn connected to the handle 70. This allows the movement of
the handle 70 to move the piston 110 in a corresponding manner. For
example, if the handle 70 is rotated clockwise, the piston 110 will
rotate clockwise. If the handle 70 is pulled axially away from the
spout 62, the piston 110 will move axially in the same
direction.
[0042] Furthermore, the piston 110 includes a vent tube 118 which
is disposed axially through the piston 110 and into the stem 76.
The vent tube 118 allows any air pressure that may build up behind
the back plug 114 to vent to the atmosphere at the front end 68 of
the spout 62 by virtue of an air conduit formed by the vent tube
118 and stem 76.
[0043] In operation, the handle 70 begins flush against the front
end 68 of the spout 62. A hot water supply pipe is connected to
inlet 106 and a cold water supply line is connected to inlet 107 of
the valve body 66. As a result of the handle 70 being flush against
the front end 68 of the spout 62, the piston 110 is positioned
axially rearward such that apertures 112, 113 of the piston 110 are
not aligned with the ports 92, 94 and 93, 95 of the inner shell 88
and the outer shell 90 of the cartridge 86. More specifically,
aperture 113 will be positioned to the left (referring to FIG. 6)
of the ports 93, 95 and aperture 112 will be positioned to the left
of the ports 92, 94. In this position, a wall 120 of the piston 110
will cover the ports 92, 93, thereby preventing any water flow into
the piston 110. Hot water flows through inlet 106, into the valve
body 66 and into ports 92, 94. However, as discussed above, the hot
water is prevented from flowing into the piston 110 because, in
this position, the wall 120 of the piston 110 covers the port 92.
Similarly, the cold water enters inlet 107, flows into the valve
body 66 and into ports 93, 95, but is prevented from entering the
piston 110 because the wall 120 of piston 110, in this position,
covers port 93. Even if the handle 70 is rotated, there will be no
water flow into the piston 110 (and ultimately out of the spout 62)
until the handle 70 is moved axially away from the front end 68 of
the spout 62.
[0044] As the handle 70 is slowly pulled axially away from the
front end 68 of the spout 62 (assuming that the handle 70 is in a
rotationally centered position), the attached stem 76, stem plug
116, piston 110, vent tube 118 and back plug 114 all move axially
with the handle 70. As this occurs, the aperture 113 begins to
partially align with the port 93 and the aperture 112 begins to
partially align with the port 92. As this happens, hot water slowly
flows into the piston 110 through the aperture 112 and cold water
slowly flows into the piston 110 through the aperture 113. The hot
and cold water mix within piston 110 and flow around the stem plug
116, into a cavity 122 formed between the stem 76 and the cartridge
retainer 80. The mixed water continues to flow through the cavity
122, out through the drain hole 82, and out through the outlet 72
of the spout 62.
[0045] During the axial movement of the piston 110, the inner shell
88 and the outer shell 90 remain stationary. The farther the handle
70 is pulled axially away from the front end 68 of the spout 62,
the more the apertures 112, 113 align with the ports 92, 93
respectively and the greater the flow rate out of the outlet 72 of
the spout 62. The handle 70 may be pulled axially away from the
front end 68 of the spout 62 until a stop 124 of the stem 76 abuts
the retaining nut 78. At this point, the spout is discharging
maximum flow because the apertures 112, 113 are fully aligned with
the ports 92, 93 respectively.
[0046] At any time while the water is flowing (at any axial
position of the handle 70), the temperature of the discharged water
can be controlled by rotating the handle 70 in either direction.
When the handle 70 rotates in a first direction, the discharging
water becomes colder and when the handle is rotated in a second,
opposite direction, the discharging water becomes hotter. This is a
result of the apertures 112, 113 being rotated in and out of
alignment with the ports 92, 93 respectively. For example, as the
handle 70 is rotated in a first direction, the piston 110 is
rotated in a corresponding manner and direction. As the piston 110
rotates, the aperture 113 becomes more fully aligned rotationally
with the port 93 while the aperture 112 becomes less aligned
rotationally with the port 92. As a result, proportionally, more
cold water enters the piston 110 than hot water, and the
discharging water becomes colder. The opposite occurs when the
handle 70 is rotated in the opposite direction. As a result of this
design, at any given discharging water flow (determined by how far
the handle 70 is pulled away from the front end 68 of the spout
62), the temperature of the discharging water can be varied. In
other words, the temperature of the discharging water is completely
independent from the flow rate of the discharging water.
[0047] The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 also allows the cartridge 86
to be serviced from the outside of the house instead of from the
inside of the house. Often repairing or replacing any of the
cartridge components requires access from the interior of the house
since that is where the valve body 66 and the cartridge 86 are
disposed. However, the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 allows the
cartridge 86 to be removed from the outside.
[0048] To remove the cartridge 86, the handle 70 is first
unattached from the stem 76 by removing the fastening means 74.
With the handle 70 removed, the retaining nut 78 can be unscrewed
from the front end 68 of the spout 62. The stem 76 can then be
axially pulled to remove the back plug 114, vent tube 118, piston
110 and stem plug 116. These components can then be serviced if
needed and replaced back in a reverse step manner. However, if
servicing is needed on the cartridge 86, the cartridge retainer 80
can then be axially pulled to remove the inner shell 88, outer
shell 90, grommets 98, check valves 102, and O-rings 104. After
servicing, the parts are reassembled in the same manner, just
taking the above steps in reverse order.
[0049] Finally, FIGS. 11 and 12 show two other possible designs for
the valve body 66. FIG. 11 shows an embodiment in which the inlets
106, 107 are disposed on a rear end 126 of the valve body 66.
However, the interior of the valve body would be substantially
similar to that shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 12 shows a valve body in
which two flexible inlet connections 106, 107 are disposed off of
the rear end 126 of the valve body 66. The flexible inlets 106, 107
give the installer greater flexibility and makes installation
easier.
[0050] The above description of some of the embodiments of the
present invention has been given by way of example. From the
disclosure given, those skilled in the art will not only understand
the present invention and its attendant advantages, but will also
find apparent various changes and modifications to the structures
and methods disclosed. It is sought, therefore, to cover all such
changes and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of
the invention, as defined by the appended claims, and equivalents
thereof.
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