Sanitary installations and shower assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016010759-A1
Application number	US-201414772977-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 7, 2014
Priority date	Mar 11, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sanitary fixture ( 1 ), including a flow regulator unit ( 5 ) and a movable adjustment element ( 6 ) that adjusts a flow rate and has a control connection to a temperature-sensitive control element ( 8 ). The invention provides arranging a return spring ( 13 ) on a same side of the flow regulator unit ( 5 ) as the control element ( 8 ), with respect to the flow direction, and/or designing the control element ( 8 ) to assume at least one intermediate position.

First claim

1 . A sanitary fixture ( 1 ) comprising a flow regulator unit ( 5 ) which is arranged in a flow path ( 2 ) including a movable adjustment element ( 6 ), wherein a throughflow rate defined by the flow regulator unit ( 5 ) is settable by the adjustment element ( 6 ), a control element ( 8 ) which changes at least one of a shape or size depending on a temperature arranged in the flow path ( 2 ) and operatively connected to the adjustment element ( 6 ), wherein, in the event of a change in the temperature over a temperature range between a lower temperature value and an upper temperature value, the control element ( 8 ) displaces the adjustment element ( 6 ) along an adjustment path ( 10 ) between a starting position and an end position, and at at least one intermediate temperature value between the lower temperature value and the upper temperature value, the control element ( 8 ) sets an intermediate position of the adjustment element ( 6 ) in the adjustment path between the starting position and the end position.

2 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate position is spaced apart from at least one of the starting position or the end position by at least 1% of an overall length of the adjustment path ( 10 ).

3 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the control element ( 8 ) assumes at least one of three different shapes or sizes at at least three different temperature values.

4 . The sanitary fixture according to claim 1 , wherein the control element ( 8 ) has at least two material components ( 25 , 26 ) which have different coefficients of expansion or different phase transition temperatures or both within the temperature range.

5 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment element ( 6 ) includes a bimetallic element ( 28 ).

6 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the material components ( 25 , 26 ) are arranged in succession in an adjustment direction.

7 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the material components ( 25 , 26 ) comprise a material mixture, the material mixture is a thermowax mixture, and the material components ( 25 , 26 ) are in each case a thermowax component and the phase transition temperatures are given by a particular melting point of the thermowax component.

8 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the adjustment element ( 6 ) defines a lower throughflow rate in the starting position than in the end position.

9 . A sanitary fixture ( 1 ), comprising a flow regulator unit ( 5 ) arranged in a flow path ( 2 ) that includes a movable adjustment element ( 6 ), a throughflow rate defined by the flow regulator unit ( 5 ) is settable by the adjustment element ( 6 ), a control element ( 8 ) which changes shape depending on a temperature, arranged in the flow path ( 2 ) and operatively connected to the adjustment element ( 6 ), such that an increase in a temperature at the control element ( 8 ) causes a displacement of the adjustment element ( 6 ) towards greater throughflow rates, and a restoring spring ( 13 ) that acts on the adjustment element ( 6 ), wherein the control element ( 8 ) and the restoring spring ( 13 ) are arranged in the flow path ( 2 ) on a same side of the flow regulator unit ( 5 ).

10 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the restoring spring ( 13 ) and the control element ( 8 ) are arranged on a downstream side in relation to the flow regulator unit ( 5 ).

11 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the restoring spring ( 13 ) comprises a helical spring, a zigzag spring ( 36 ) or a disc spring or a stacked arrangement of disc springs.

12 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising a guide element ( 15 ) carrying the restoring spring ( 13 ) formed on the adjustment element ( 6 ), and the guide element ( 15 ) encloses a throughflow duct ( 17 ).

13 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein a cross-sectional area of an opening ( 19 ) is settable by way of the adjustment element ( 6 ), or the adjustment element ( 6 ) has a basic form that narrows.

14 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the adjustment element ( 6 ) passes through an O-ring ( 18 ), wherein the O-ring ( 18 ), in the event of an increasing pressure difference across an opening, narrows an opening.

15 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the flow regulator unit ( 5 ), the control element ( 8 ) and the restoring spring ( 13 ) are arranged in a tubular sleeve ( 21 ).

16 . A shower arrangement ( 30 ) having a heating element ( 33 ) which is arranged in the flow path ( 2 ) designed for constant heat output, and having a sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 1 connected upstream of the heating element ( 33 ) in the flow direction.

17 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein an increase in the temperature at the control element ( 8 ) causes a displacement of the adjustment element ( 6 ) towards greater throughflow rates.

18 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 4 , wherein the material components ( 25 , 26 ) are formed in each case from a material having shape memory.

19 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein a throughflow rate of the flow regulator unit ( 5 ) which decreases with increasing temperature is set by the control element ( 8 ) and the adjustment element ( 6 ).

20 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the control element ( 8 ) or a control connection ( 29 ) between the adjustment element ( 6 ) and the control element ( 8 ) passes through an interior space ( 14 ) in the flow path ( 2 ), said interior space ( 14 ) being enclosed or at least radially bounded by the restoring spring ( 13 ).

21 . The sanitary fixture ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the adjustment element ( 6 ) has grooves that extend radially on the outside along the flow path ( 2 ).

Assignees

• Neoperl Gmbh

Inventors

• Tempel Marc

Classifications

• G05D23/022

  the sensing element being placed within a regulating fluid flow · CPC title

• E03C1/0408

  Water installations especially for showers (E03C1/06 takes precedence; shower heads B05B1/18) · CPC title

• G05D23/08

  with bimetallic element · CPC title

• E03C2001/026

  with flow restricting devices · CPC title

• E03C1/044

  having a heating or cooling apparatus in the supply line (water heaters, e.g. with continuous flow, F24H) · CPC title