Mixing valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9920507-B2
Application number	US-201615140144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2016
Priority date	Jun 22, 2012
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

A valve including a housing having a first inlet chamber defined by a first chamber wall and configured to receive the cold water, a second inlet chamber defined by a second chamber wall and configured to receive the hot water, and a mixing chamber configured to receive the cold water from the first inlet chamber and the hot water from the second inlet chamber, wherein at least a portion of the mixing chamber is located between the first and second chamber walls; a first flow control valve extending through the first inlet chamber and moveable relative to the housing for controlling the flow of cold water from the first inlet chamber to the mixing chamber; and a second flow control valve extending through the second inlet chamber and moveable relative to the housing for controlling the flow of hot water from the second inlet chamber to the mixing chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A valve for use in a plumbing fixture for washing, bathing and showering, the valve being configured to control the mixing of a supply of cold water and a supply of hot water, the valve comprising:
a housing comprising a first inlet chamber defined by a first chamber wall and configured to receive the cold water, a second inlet chamber defined by a second chamber wall and configured to receive the hot water, and a mixing chamber configured to receive the cold water from the first inlet chamber and the hot water from the second inlet chamber, wherein at least a portion of the mixing chamber is located between the first chamber wall and the second chamber wall;
a first flow control valve extending through the first inlet chamber and moveable relative to the housing for controlling the flow of cold water from the first inlet chamber to the mixing chamber; and
a second flow control valve extending through the second inlet chamber and moveable relative to the housing for controlling the flow of hot water from the second inlet chamber to the mixing chamber;
wherein the first and second flow control valves are moveable independently of each other.

2. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the mixing chamber is substantially H-shaped and the portion of the mixing chamber that is located between the first chamber wall and the second chamber wall is a central portion of the H-shaped mixing chamber.

3. The valve of claim 2 , wherein the mixing chamber is substantially H-shaped in a cross-section.

4. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the first inlet chamber is substantially T-shaped having a valve inlet and two valve outlets formed at substantially opposite ends of the first inlet chamber, and wherein the second inlet chamber is substantially T-shaped having a valve inlet and two valve outlets formed at substantially opposite ends of the second inlet chamber.

5. The valve of claim 4 , wherein the two valve outlets of the first inlet chamber are defined at least in part by the first chamber wall and the two valve outlets of the second inlet chamber are defined at least in part by the second chamber wall.

6. The valve of claim 5 , wherein each valve outlet includes a through bore with a cylindrical center section having a reduced diameter relative to two opposite end sections of the through bore.

7. The valve of claim 5 , wherein the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve are arranged side by side in parallel and on opposite sides of the portion of the mixing chamber.

8. The valve of claim 7 , wherein the mixing chamber is substantially H-shaped having a central portion that is the portion of the mixing chamber located between the first chamber wall and the second chamber wall and two side portions, and wherein each flow control valve includes a spool that extends through each side portion of the substantially H-shaped mixing chamber.

9. A valve for use in a plumbing fixture for washing, bathing and showering, the valve being configured to control the mixing of a supply of cold water and a supply of hot water, the valve comprising:
a housing comprising a first inlet chamber defined by a first chamber wall and configured to receive the cold water, a second inlet chamber defined by a second chamber wall and configured to receive the hot water, and a mixing chamber configured to receive the cold water from the first inlet chamber and the hot water from the second inlet chamber, wherein at least a portion of the mixing chamber is located between the first chamber wall and the second chamber wall;
a first flow control valve extending through the first inlet chamber and moveable relative to the housing for controlling the flow of cold water from the first inlet chamber to the mixing chamber; and
a second flow control valve extending through the second inlet chamber and moveable relative to the housing for controlling the flow of hot water from the second inlet chamber to the mixing chamber;
wherein the first chamber wall defines at least a portion of each of two valve outlets fluidly connecting the first inlet chamber to the mixing chamber, and wherein the second chamber wall defines at least a portion of each of two valve outlets fluidly connecting the second inlet chamber to the mixing chamber.

10. The valve of claim 9 , wherein each inlet chamber of the first and second inlet chambers is substantially T-shaped having a valve inlet and the two valve outlets formed at substantially opposite ends of the valve inlet chamber.

11. The valve of claim 9 ,
wherein each valve outlet has a size and the mixing valve has a flow coefficient that when both the first and second flow control valves are in a full open position, the valve outputs a first flow rate of water; when both the first and second flow control valves are in a mid-open position, the valve outputs a second flow rate of water; and when both the first and second flow control valves are in a position that is less than the mid-open position, the valve outputs a third flow rate of water.

12. The valve of claim 11 , wherein the first flow rate is 30 to 50 liters per minute, the second flow rate is 10 to 30 liters per minute, and the third flow rate is less than 10 liters per minute.

13. The valve of claim 12 , wherein each valve outlet has a diameter of about 6 mm diameter and a flow coefficient of about 2.5.

14. The valve of claim 11 , wherein the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve are arranged side by side in parallel and on opposite sides of the mixing chamber.

15. The valve of claim 14 , further comprising a heating element that extends substantially parallel to the first and second flow control valves, wherein the heating element is configured to heat at least a portion of the mixing valve to a temperature that disinfects the portion.

16. The valve of claim 15 , further comprising a thermistor that monitors the temperature during the disinfection cycle and controls a power input to the heating element to control the temperature to prevent overheating of the housing.

17. A valve for use in a plumbing fixture for washing, bathing and showering, the valve comprising:
a housing comprising a first inlet chamber configured to receive cold water, a second inlet chamber configured to receive hot water, and a mixing chamber configured to receive the cold water from the first inlet chamber and the hot water from the second inlet chamber;
a first flow control valve moveable relative to the housing for controlling a flow of the cold water from the first inlet chamber to the mixing chamber;
a second flow control valve moveable relative to the housing for controlling a flow of the hot water from the second inlet chamber to the mixing chamber;
a heating element that is located in the housing and is provided adjacent to the mixing chamber to heat the housing to a temperature to disinfect an internal waterway of the housing; and
a thermistor for monitoring the temperature during the disinfection cycle and controlling the power input to the heating element to control the temperature to prevent overheating of the housing.

18. The valve of claim 17 , wherein the housing includes a metal or an alloy and has a thermal mass such that the heating element is able to heat the housing to disinfect the internal waterway of the housing with a power of not more than 10 watts.

19. The valve of claim 18 , wherein the housing is insulated such that exposed external surfaces are not heated to the temperature.

20. The valve of claim 18 , wherein the first in

Assignees

• Kohler Mira Ltd

Inventors

• Peel Kevin T

Classifications

• F16K49/002

  Electric heating means · CPC title

• F16K11/20

  operated by separate actuating members (with one plug turning in another F16K11/12) · CPC title

• E03B7/074

  Arrangement of water treatment devices · CPC title

• Y10T137/0318

  Processes · CPC title

• Y10T137/0391

  Affecting flow by the addition of material or energy · CPC title