U.S. patent number 3,625,255 [Application Number 04/861,308] was granted by the patent office on 1971-12-07 for mixing taps.
Invention is credited to Bernard Genin.
United States Patent |
3,625,255 |
Genin |
December 7, 1971 |
MIXING TAPS
Abstract
Improvements in mixing water taps, comprising two similar
closure members, one member being keyed in the tap body while the
other member is keyed inside a distributor core rotatably mounted
in the tap body. The improvements relate especially to the
provision of a spigot member permitting total modulation of the
mixed water delivered by the tap, and also to the arrangement of
nonreturn valves which prevent undesired flow from one of the inlet
pipes to the other.
Inventors: |
Genin; Bernard (Paris 11e,
FR) |
Family
ID: |
9034431 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/861,308 |
Filed: |
September 26, 1969 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
May 22, 1969 [FR] |
|
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6,916,636 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
137/637.3;
137/607; 137/625.41; 137/614.16; 251/208 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16K
11/202 (20130101); Y10T 137/87129 (20150401); Y10T
137/86823 (20150401); Y10T 137/88022 (20150401); Y10T
137/87692 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
F16K
11/10 (20060101); F16K 11/20 (20060101); F16k
011/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;137/606,607,614.16,625.15,625.21,625.41,625.46,637.3,637.5
;251/209 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Nelson; Robert G.
Claims
What I claim is:
1. In a mixing tap of the type comprising a first inlet pipe for
hot water and a second inlet pipe for cold water, and a common
outlet pipe, a mixing chamber, and control means including two
similar closure members having polished surfaces in engagement with
one another, each closure member having a central passage, said
passages being in alignment with one another and in communication
with the outlet pipe, and each closure member also having two
peripheral passages, one of said peripheral passages of each
closure member being for communication with the first inlet pipe
and the other of said peripheral passages of each closure member
for communication with the second inlet pipe, one of said closure
members being rotatably mounted about the axis of its said central
passage, and first rotatable actuating means for controlling the
positioning of the said one of said closure members and thereby the
mixture of hot and cold water, the improvement comprising: spigot
means for controlling the rate of flow to the outlet pipe and
disposed between the mixing chamber and said outlet pipe, and
second rotatable actuating means for controlling the position of
said spigot means and thereby the rate of flow of mixed water to
the outlet pipe, the axis of rotation of the second actuating means
coinciding with the axis of rotation of the first actuating means,
the inlet and outlet pipes being connected to a fixed body, one of
said closure members being fixed to the fixed body, the other of
said closure members being mounted for rotation with a distributor
core which is rotatably mounted in said body, the first actuating
means being connected to control the rotatable position of the
distributor core, the mixing chamber being formed between the
distributor core and the said other of said closure members around
an axial bore which extends to the said other of said closure
members and concentric with the central passage therein, at least
one lateral slot connecting the axial bore for communication with
said mixing chamber, said spigot means being rotatably mounted in
said bore and including a transverse groove for bringing the slot
into communication with the last-named central passage.
2. A mixing tap as claimed in claim 1, wherein two nonreturn valves
are disposed in said mixing chamber, each valve being associated
with one of the peripheral passages of said other of the closure
members.
3. A mixing tap as claimed in claim 2, wherein said nonreturn
valves are formed by the free end portions of a resiliently
deformable blade fixed at its middle portion to said distributor
core, the end portions of the blade facing the peripheral passages
of said other of the closure members and having surface areas
greater than the cross sections of said passages.
4. A mixing tap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said distributor
core comprises a transverse annular bearing surface disposed
between a part of larger diameter and a part of smaller diameter
projecting from the larger part, said distributor core being held
axially in said body by a ring nut surrounding said part of smaller
diameter and threadedly engaging said body, and wherein a locking
ring fixed to the body and a friction washer are disposed between
the ring nut and said annular portion of the distributor core.
5. A mixing tap as claimed in claim 4, wherein the internal contour
of said locking ring has oblique bearing surfaces, and wherein the
part of smaller diameter of said distributor core has transverse
grooves adapted to abut against said oblique bearing surfaces.
6. A mixing tap as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first rotatable
actuating means is a lever, and screws fixing the lever to said
distributor core, said second rotatable actuating means comprising
a knob having a radial bar abutting against said screws.
7. In a mixing tap of the type comprising a first inlet pipe for
hot water and a second inlet pipe for cold water, and a common
outlet pipe, a mixing chamber, and control means including two
similar closure members having polished surfaces in engagement with
one another, each closure member having a central passage, said
passages being in alignment with one another and in communication
with the outlet pipe, and each closure member also having two
peripheral passages, one of said peripheral passages of each
closure member being for communication with the first inlet pipe
and the other of said peripheral passages of each closure member
for communication with the second inlet pipe, one of said closure
members being rotatably mounted about the axis of its said central
passage, and first rotatable actuating means for controlling the
positioning of the said one of said closure members and thereby the
mixture of hot and cold water, the improvement comprising: spigot
means for controlling the rate of flow to the outlet pipe and
disposed between the mixing chamber and said outlet pipe, and
second rotatable actuating means for controlling the position of
said spigot means and thereby the rate of flow of mixed water to
the outlet pipe, the axis of rotation of the second actuating means
coinciding with the axis of rotation of the first actuating means,
the two peripheral passages of each closure member having polygonal
outlets on at least one of the faces of said closure member, each
of said outlets being delimited by two sides disposed along radial
lines extending from the center of the central passage, one of said
sides of each outlet passing through the center of the other
outlet.
Description
Mixing cocks or taps are already known which comprise, between a
hot water inlet pipe, a cold water inlet pipe and a common outlet
pipe, a mixing chamber controlled by two similar closure members
brought together along carefully polished contact faces, the said
closure members each comprising on the one hand a central passage,
facing each other and coupled to the outlet pipe, and on the other
hand, two peripheral passages each for coupling to one of the inlet
pipes, one of the closure members being rotatably mounted with
respect to the other about the axis of the said central passages,
under the control of an operating device employed by the user.
This arrangement advantageously results in forms of construction
which are particularly compact and economic.
The present invention has for its object various improvements in
mixing taps or cocks of this type, some of these improvements
permitting these taps to be provided with additional equipment
without increasing their overall volume and size, while others
permit the flow characteristics to be improved for the same overall
size.
These improvements, which may be applied equally well to taps of
the kind fitted on a washbasin or a sink and to taps of the kind
fitted on baths, are especially directed to:
The interposition between the mixing chamber and the outlet pipe of
an additional cock casing which, under the control of a second
operating device coaxial with the first, enables the flow rate
delivered by the tap to be modulated, especially in the case of
mixed water;
The provision inside the mixing chamber of two nonreturn valves,
each respectively associated with the peripheral passages of the
closure members, so as to compensate for the effects of a possible
relative depression in one of the inlet pipes with respect to the
other, which could result in undesirable discharge into this inlet
pipe of the water coming through the other;
AND A PARTICULAR SHAPING OF THE PASSAGES OF THE CLOSURE MEMBERS FOR
THE PURPOSE, ON THE ONE HAND OF INCREASING THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE
FLOW RATE AND ON THE OTHER HAND OF INCREASING THE POSSIBLE FLOW
RATE OF MIXED WATER WHEN HALF OF THIS MIXED WATER IS CONSTITUTED BY
HOT WATER AND HALF BY COLD WATER, AT THE SAME TIME RESPECTING A
PREDETERMINED MIXING LAW, MADE AS LINEAR AS POSSIBLE AS A FUNCTION
OF THE RELATIVE ANGLE OF ROTATION OF ONE CLOSURE MEMBER WITH
RESPECT TO THE OTHER.
The characteristic features and advantages of the invention will be
further brought out in the description which follows below, given
by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a view in exploded perspective, with local cross sections
of a mixing tap according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a view in exploded perspective of the distributor core of
this tap and of the elements with which this distributor core is
equipped;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cock casing associated with the
said distributor core;
FIG. 4 is a view in vertical cross section of this distributor core
alone;
FIG. 5 is a partial plan view to a different scale of a closure
member;
FIG. 6 is a partial view in transverse section to a larger scale of
this closure member, taken along the line V--V of FIG. 4.
The mixing tap according to the invention comprises a body 10 in
which is formed a cylindrical housing 11. The internal wall of this
housing 11 is provided at its free extremity with a threaded
portion 12. This housing 11 is extended into the interior of the
body 10 by a chamber 13 intended to receive in succession a spacing
plate 14 and a closure member 15.
The closure member 15 is simply formed by a cylindrical disc
pierced with a circular central passage 16 and with two peripheral
passages 17 and 18, and is keyed inside the chamber 13 by the set
of lateral lugs 19 engaged in the corresponding cutout grooves
formed in the peripheral wall of the chamber 13.
The spacing plate 14 comprises a central passage (not visible in
the drawing) and six peripheral passages 20 each intended to
support a toric sealing joint (not shown in the drawing).
To the rear of the spacing plate 14, the body 10 comprises a
central passage 21 and six identical peripheral passages 22, 23A,
23B, 24, 25A and 25B respectively, each facing a passage of the
spacing plate. The central passage 21 communicates with a common
outlet pipe 26, the passages 22, 23A and 23B communicate with a hot
water inlet pipe 27 and the passages 24, 25A and 25B communicate
with a cold water inlet pipe 28.
These communications can be effected either through bores at the
internal diameters of the inlet pipes, which is the case for the
passages 22 and 24 in correspondence with the passages 17, 18 of
the closure member 15, or through bores having smaller diameters,
which is the case for the passages 23A, 23B, 25A, 25B, which are
established in angular sectors for which the closure member 15 is
not provided with any passage.
In contact with the closure member 15 is applied a similar closure
member 29 having identically the same cutout form, a central
passage 30 superimposed on the central passage 16 of the closure
member 15, and two peripheral passages 31 and 32.
In the form of embodiment shown, the closure members 15 and 29 are
identically the same, and are associated by turning, along
carefully polished faces.
One of these members, the closure member 15, is shown in part by
way of example in FIGS. 5 and 6. The carefully polished face 33A by
which it is joined face to face with the other closure member is
the front face of FIG. 5, while the other face 33B is at the rear.
Whereas the central passage 16 is cylindrical, that is to say its
outlets 16A, 16B on the faces 33A, 33B are equal circles, the
passages 17, 18 are flared outwards from the face 33B to the face
33A. On the face 33B, the outlets 17B, 18B of these passages are
equal circles having a smaller diameter than that of the central
passage 16, and their centers form a very open angle A with the
center of the central passage. On the other hand, on the face 33A,
the outlets 17A, 18A of the passages 17, 18 are polygons which are
entirely circumscribed on the circles 17B, 18B, and their two
extreme sides are radial sides, that is to say passing through the
center of the central passage 16; furthermore, for each peripheral
passage 17, 18, one of these radial sides passes through the center
of the other peripheral passage 18, 17.
The closure member 29 is angularly fixed by a set of radial lugs 34
engaging in a distributor core 35 which is rotatably mounted in the
housing 11 of the body 10.
This core 35 comprises an internal annular chamber 36 (see FIGS. 2
and 4) known as the mixing chamber, formed round a smaller axial
bore 37 facing the passages 31 and 32 of the closure member 29.
This chamber 36 is in turn surrounded by an annular groove 38
intended to receive a ring-type sealing joint (not shown).
On the bottom of the chamber 36 is fixed an elastic blade 40 having
a generally semicircular form, a tubular spacer 39 being interposed
between the blade and the bottom. This blade 40, fixed at its
central portion thus has two deformable branches 41, 42 on each
side of this central zone and these elastic branches 41, 42 have
enlarged extremities 43, 44 which respectively face the passages
17, 18 of the closure member 29. They are intended to serve as
nonreturn valves.
The axial bore 37 is extended to make contact with the closure
member 29 which is shown in broken lines in FIG. 4, and is provided
laterally with two diametrically opposite slots 45, 46, through
which it communicates with the chamber 36. Its axial channel which
is provided with a shoulder 47, serves as a housing for a cock
casing 48, shown separately in FIG. 3.
The spigot 48 which has the same internal diameter as the bore 37
and which has a diametral slot 49, corresponding to the slots 45,
46 of the said bore, is extended by a square operating shaft 50
intended to project to the exterior of the distributor core 35
(FIG. 1).
On its outer face, this core has a shoulder 51 surrounding a
section 52 of smaller diameter, around which are successively
engaged a friction washer 53, a locking washer 54 and a ring nut 55
intended to cooperate with the internal thread 12 of the body 10 so
as to hold the assembly inside the said body. The locking washer 54
is provided with two radial lugs 57 for its angular keying in the
body 10, and its internal periphery comprises two oblique
diametrically opposite bearing surfaces 58. These surfaces are
intended to cooperate in abutment with the bottom of transverse
slots 59 which are provided symmetrically on the section 52 of the
distributor core 35, on each side of its axis, for the purpose of
angular limitation of the rotation of this distributor core inside
the body 10.
On the distributor core 35, an operating lever 61 is fixed by means
of screws 60, the lever having a cutaway portion 62. This portion
62 is engaged on a diametral ridge 63 of the distributor core 35
and allows the square operating shaft 50 of the spigot 48 to
project.
On this square shaft 50 is engaged and fixed an operating knob 64,
the internal face of which is provided with an annular groove 65
shut off by a radial partition or bar 66. This partition is
intended to cooperate with the heads of the screws 60 for the
angular limitation of the rotation of the operating knob 64 with
respect to the lever 61, that is to say of the spigot 48 with
respect to the distributor core 35.
As has already been stated above, the closure members 15, 29 are
associated by turning. This turning is effected by rotation through
180.degree. of one of these members with respect to a line passing
on the one hand through the center of its central passage and on
the other hand through the center of one of its peripheral
passages. This is suggested in FIG. 5, in which the passage 32 of
the closure member 29 has been shown in broken lines, the passages
30 and 31 of this member being assumed to be respectively
superimposed on the passages 16 and 17 of the closure member
15.
This position corresponds to the case in which the tap delivers hot
water for example and at maximum flow rate if the diametral slot of
the spigot 48 is in alignment with the slots 45, 46 of the core 35.
The path of this hot water is then as follows: pipe 27, passage 22,
peripheral passage 20, passages 17 and 31, mixing chamber 36, slots
45 and 46, slot 49, passages 30 and 16, central passage 20, passage
21 and pipe 26.
This position has naturally been preceded by a rotation of the
lever 61 in the direction corresponding to that of the arrow 70 of
FIG. 5, during the course of which rotation, starting from zero
flow rate, the passage 31 of the closure member 29 is progressively
superimposed on the passage 17 of the closure member 15.
For the maximum delivery position of hot water explained above, the
passages 18 and 32 are tangential (see FIG. 5). From then, if the
rotation of the operating lever 61 is continued, cold water is
introduced into the mixing chamber over the following path: pipe
28, passage 24, peripheral passage 20, passages 18 and 32. At the
same time, the quantity of hot water introduced is reduced due to
the progressive closure of the passage 17 of the closure member 15
by the closure member 29. There is therefore delivered a mixture of
hot and cold water.
It should be noted:
that in the case of the form of embodiment shown, the total flow of
water delivered by the tap remains unchanged during a mixture of
this water; the flow of cold water introduced exactly compensates
for the reduced flow of hot water;
that the total flow rate is not limited by the central passages 16,
30, the diameters of which are greater than those of the associated
peripheral passages;
that by virtue of the delimitation of the peripheral passages 19,
18, 31, 32 by radial sides, the mixture of the water is definite,
and it is thus possible to give it a linear relation as a function
of the angle of rotation of the lever 61, it being understood that
any other relation could be obtained if desired by modifying
accordingly the outlets of these peripheral passages;
that for a medium mixture, that is to say for an equal mixture of
hot and cold water, the flaring of the peripheral passages 17, 18,
31, 32 makes it possible to obtain, all other conditions being
equal, a total flow greater than that obtained with simple
cylindrical passages;
that the maintenance of circular outlets for the peripheral
passages of the fixed closure member 15, on the rear face of this
latter, advantageously simplifies the nature and the placing in
position of the associated sealing joints;
and that, at the same time, the similar maintenance of circular
outlets on the corresponding face of the rotating closure member 29
advantageously permits the total identity of this member with the
fixed closure member and in consequence, the manufacture can be
effected in an economical manner with the same equipment.
If the rotation of the operating lever 61 is further continued, the
water delivered becomes increasingly cold until it becomes
completely cold when the passages 18 and 32 are exactly
superimposed; beyond this point, there is a gradual reduction of
the flow rate delivered by the tap until the flow completely
stops.
As will have been understood, the spigot 48 actuated by the knob 64
enables the flow delivered by the tap to be modulated, especially
in the case of mixed water. In fact, this spigot makes it possible
to reduce and even to cut off, except for leakage, the
communication between the mixing chamber 36 and the central
passages 30, 16 of the closure members.
Furthermore, and as will also have been understood, if an inlet
pipe 27, 28 happens to be in depression with respect to the other
during the flow of mixed water, the corresponding extremity 43, 44
of the elastic blade 40 becomes applied against the corresponding
passages 31, 32 of the closure member 15 and thus prevents any
undesirable delivery into this pipe of water of opposite
nature.
With regard to the passages 23A, 23B, 25A, 25B, these have the
purpose of applying a suitable pressure force against the rear face
of the fixed closure member.
It will of course be understood that the present invention is not
limited to the form of embodiment described and shown, but includes
any alternative form of construction, especially as concerns the
outlets of the peripheral passages of the closure members, which
could all be other than circular, in which case the closure members
may no longer be identical.
* * * * *