Thermostatic valve with anti-failure provisions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9879658-B2
Application number	US-201313987411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2013
Priority date	Jul 23, 2013
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments include eyewash valves in which the temperature of the water emerging from the valve is thermostatically controlled by a wax motor which regulates the flow of hot and cold water through the valve. Embodiments include provisions for continuing water flow through the valve despite failure of the hot water supply. Embodiments also include provisions for water flow through the valve despite failure of the wax motor in the upper position or in the lower position.

First claim

We claim:

1. A thermostatic emergency eyewash and shower valve in which hot and cold water is mixed comprising:
a hot water path being defined through a hot water conduit with a check valve and thereafter through a hot water port and terminating into a mixing chamber, flow of hot water through the hot water port controlled by a wax motor coupled to a shuttle,
a primary cold water path from a manifold, flow of cold water passing through a check valve which allows flow of cold water through a primary cold water conduit and thereafter through a primary cold water port terminating into the mixing chamber, the flow of cold water through the primary cold water port controlled by a thermostatic controller by means of the shuttle, the shuttle capable of closing either the hot water port or the primary cold water port but not both at the same time, and
a secondary cold water path from the manifold, the secondary cold water path defined by and providing a flow passing through a pressure-sensitive bypass valve which allows the flow of cold water into the hot water path, the flow of cold water through the hot water path being into the hot water conduit and through the hot water port and terminating into the mixing chamber.

2. The thermostatic emergency eyewash and shower valve of claim 1 further comprising a pressure reducing valve in the hot water supply.

3. A thermostatic emergency eyewash and shower valve in which hot and cold water are mixed and which provides water flow despite failure of a hot or cold water supply or failure of a wax motor or malfunction of a shuttle closing a hot or cold water port comprising:
a body, the body having a hot water path with a check valve, a primary cold water path, a secondary cold water path, a central chamber containing a wax motor, a shuttle, a mixing chamber and a mixed water outlet,
the hot water path comprising a hot water supply, a hot water conduit leading to a hot water port terminating at the central chamber, wherein hot water passes from the hot water supply, through the hot water conduit, through the hot water port, and into the central chamber,
the primary cold water path comprising a cold water supply, a cold water manifold, a cold water pressure-sensitive bypass valve, a primary cold water conduit leading to a primary cold water port,
wherein cold water passes from the cold water supply into the cold water manifold, through the primary cold water valve, into the primary cold water conduit and from the primary cold water conduit through the primary cold water port into the mixing chamber and out the mixed water outlet,
the secondary cold water path comprising the cold water supply, the manifold of the primary cold water path, a secondary cold water bypass valve which allows the passage of cold water at a pressure higher than the pressure which allows water to pass through the primary cold water valve into a secondary cold water conduit connected to the hot water conduit, through the hot water port and terminating at the central chamber,
wherein cold water passes through the cold water supply and manifold of the primary cold water path, through the secondary cold water valve into the secondary cold water conduit, into the hot water conduit, and through the hot water port into the mixing chamber, and out the mixed water outlet, and
the thermostatic controller attached to a cylindrical shuttle, the shuttle capable of reciprocating motion within the central chamber, the shuttle having a cold water lip on its upper edge, the cold water lip capable of controlling flow through the primary cold water port into the mixing chamber, the shuttle having a hot water lip on its lower edge, the hot water lip capable of controlling flow through the hot water port into the mixing chamber.

4. A process of providing water from a thermostatic emergency eyewash and shower valve after failure of a hot water supply or failure of a wax motor or malfunction of a shuttle resulting in closure of a hot water port, the process comprising the steps:
a. obtaining a thermostatic eyewash shower valve in which hot and cold water is mixed comprising: a hot water path from the hot water supply into a mixing chamber, the flow of hot water being through a check valve into a hot water conduit and through a hot water port controlled by a wax motor by means of a shuttle into a mixing chamber, a primary cold water path from a manifold attached to the cold water supply, the flow of cold water passing through a check valve which allows flow of cold water through a primary cold water conduit to a primary cold water port into the mixing chamber, the flow of cold water through the primary cold water port controlled by the wax motor by means of the shuttle, the shuttle capable of closing either but not both at the same time the hot water port and the primary cold water port, a secondary cold water path from the manifold attached to the cold water supply, the flow passing through a pressure-sensitive bypass valve into the hot water conduit and through the hot water port into the mixing chamber,
b. closing the primary cold water port by the shuttle,
c. allowing the pressure in the cold water manifold to exceed the pressure at which the pressure-sensitive bypass valve passes water,
d. passing cold water through the secondary cold water valve and secondary cold water conduit into the hot water conduit, and
e. passing cold water through the hot water port into the mixing chamber.

5. The process of claim 4 further comprising, between step d. and step e, the step of blocking the flow of hot water through the hot water conduit with the cold water.

6. The process of providing water from an emergency thermostatic eyewash and shower valve after failure of the cold water supply or failure of the wax motor or malfunction of the shuttle resulting in closure of the primary cold water port comprising the steps:
a. obtaining a thermostatic eyewash shower valve in which hot and cold water is mixed comprising: a hot water path from the hot water supply into a mixing chamber, the flow of hot water being through a check valve into a hot water conduit and through a hot water port controlled by a wax motor by means of a shuttle into a mixing chamber, a primary cold water path from a manifold attached to the cold water supply, the flow passing through a check valve which allows flow of cold water through a primary cold water conduit through a primary cold water port into a mixing chamber, the flow of cold water through the primary cold water port controlled by the wax motor by means of the shuttle, the shuttle capable of closing either but not both at the same time the hot water port and the primary cold water port, a secondary cold water path from the manifold attached to the cold water supply, the flow of cold water passing through a pressure-sensitive bypass valve into the hot water conduit and through the hot water port into the mixing chamber, and
b. allowing cold water to flow through the primary cold water path into the mixing chamber.

Assignees

• Acorn Eng Co

Inventors

• Graves James C
• Zivancevic Dejan

Classifications

• A61H35/02

  for the eyes · CPC title

• F16K19/006

  Specially adapted for faucets · CPC title

• G05D23/1852

  with sensing element expanding and contracting in response to change of temperature · CPC title

• G05D23/1858

  by varying the mixing ratio of fluids having different temperatures · CPC title

• E03B7/045

  diverting initially cold water in warm water supply · CPC title