Electronic proportioning valve
AssigneeMasco Corporation of Indiana
InventorsJeffrey Belz, Randall Schmitt, Jeff Iott, Cliff Chiang, Thomas Barnett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic proportioning valve for connection to a cold water source, a hot water source and a mixed water outlet and for providing a mixed water of a desired water temperature and flow rate to the mixed water outlet.
Claims40
A water delivery system for connection to a cold water source, a hot water source and a mixed water outlet, and for providing a mixed water of a desired water temperature to the mixed water outlet, the water delivery system comprising:
- a cold water valve adapted to be coupled to the cold water source for receiving cold water, and having a cold water outlet;
- a hot water valve adapted to be coupled to the hot water source for receiving hot water, and having a hot water outlet;
- a fluid mixer configured to receive cold water from the cold water outlet, to receive hot water from the hot water outlet, and to provide a mixed water to the mixed water outlet;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to the cold water valve and the hot water valve, the controller being configured to adjust the cold water valve and the hot water valve to regulate a mixed water temperature of the mixed water to substantially correspond to the desired water temperature, the controller being further configured to regulate the mixed water temperature based on at least one characteristic of the cold water, at least one characteristic of the hot water, and at least one characteristic of the mixed water, wherein the controller operates alternatively in a feed forward manner and a feed back manner, the feed forward manner providing for the adjustment of the cold water valve and the hot water valve based on the at least one characteristic of the hot water and the at least one characteristic of the cold water, and the feed back manner providing for the adjustment of the cold water valve and the hot water valve based on the at least one characteristic of the mixed water, the controller operating in the feed forward manner when at least one of the cold water and the hot water is unstable.
A method of controlling a water delivery system to provide a mixed water to a mixed water outlet, the water delivery system having a cold water valve connected to a cold water source, a hot water valve connected to a hot water source, and a mixer for combining cold water from the cold water valve and hot water from the hot water valve, the mixer being connected to the mixed water outlet, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving an input representing a desired temperature of the mixed water being provided to the mixed water outlet;
- monitoring at least one characteristic of the cold water provided to the cold water valve, at least one characteristic of the hot water provided to the hot water valve, and at least one characteristic of the mixed water provided to the mixed water outlet;
- controlling the cold water valve and the hot water valve in a feed forward manner if at least one of the cold water and the hot water is unstable;
- and
- controlling the cold water valve and the hot water valve in a feed back manner only if both the cold water and the hot water are stable.
A proportioning valve system for connection to a cold water source, a hot water source, and a mixed water outlet, and for delivering a mixed water of a desired temperature to the mixed water outlet, the proportioning valve system comprising:
- a cold water valve configured to be in fluid communication with the cold water source for receiving cold water;
- a cold water temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the cold water supplied to the cold water valve from the cold water source and to provide a cold water temperature signal indicative thereof;
- a cold water pressure sensor configured to measure the pressure of the cold water supplied to the cold water valve from the cold water source and to provide a cold water pressure signal indicative thereof;
- a hot water valve configured to be in fluid communication with the hot water source for receiving hot water;
- a hot water temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the hot water supplied to the hot water valve from the hot water source and to provide a hot water temperature signal indicative thereof;
- a hot water pressure sensor configured to measure the pressure of water supplied to the hot water valve from the hot water source and provide a hot water pressure signal indicative thereof;
- a user input device configured to receive the desired temperature from the user and to provide a set temperature signal indicative of the desired temperature;
- and
- a controller in communication with the cold water temperature sensor, the cold water pressure sensor, the hot water temperature sensor, the hot water pressure sensor, and the user input device, the controller being configured to regulate the mixed water temperature of the mixed water to substantially correspond to the desired water temperature by adjusting in a feed forward manner the cold water valve and the hot water valve in response to the cold water temperature signal, the cold water pressure signal, the hot water temperature signal, the hot water pressure signal, and the set temperature signal.
A proportioning valve system for connection to a cold water source, a hot water source, and a mixed water outlet, and for delivering a mixed water of a desired temperature to the mixed water outlet, the proportioning valve system comprising:
- a cold water valve configured to be in fluid communication with the cold water source for receiving cold water;
- a cold water servo motor coupled to the cold water valve and configured to control the position of the cold water valve;
- a cold water temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the cold water provided to the cold water valve from the cold water source and to provide a cold water temperature signal indicative thereof;
- a hot water valve configured to be in fluid communication with the hot water source for receiving hot water;
- a hot water servo motor coupled to the hot water valve and configured to control the position of the hot water valve;
- a hot water temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the hot water provided to the hot water valve from the hot water source and to provide a hot water temperature signal indicative thereof;
- a user input device configured to receive the desired temperature from the user and to provide a set temperature signal indicative of the desired temperature;
- and
- a controller in communication with the cold water temperature sensor, the hot water temperature sensor, and the user input device, the controller being configured to generate a cold water pulse width modulated control signal to control the cold water servo motor for positioning the cold water valve in response to the cold water temperature signal, the hot water temperature signal and the set temperature signal, and to generate a hot water pulse width modulated control signal to control the hot water servo motor for positioning the hot water valve in response to the hot water temperature signal, the cold water temperature signal, and the set temperature signal.
A water delivery system comprising:
- a valve configured to be coupled to a water source for receiving water, and defining a valve restriction;
- an actuator operably coupled to the valve and configured to control the position of the valve;
- an outlet coupled to the valve;
- a fluid delivery device coupled to the outlet and defining an outlet restriction;
- an inlet pressure sensor configured to measure inlet pressure of the water provided to the valve;
- an outlet pressure sensor configured to measure outlet pressure of the water provided to the outlet;
- and
- a controller configured to control the actuator for adjusting the valve in response to the inlet pressure and the outlet pressure, such that the valve restriction is substantially equal to the outlet restriction.
A water delivery system for connection to a cold water source, a hot water source and a mixed water outlet and for providing a mixed water of a desired temperature to the mixed water outlet, the water delivery system comprising:
- a cold water valve adapted to be coupled to the cold water source and having a cold water outlet;
- a hot water valve adapted to be coupled to the hot water source and having a hot water outlet;
- a fluid mixer configured to receive cold water from the cold water outlet, and to receive hot water from the hot water outlet;
- the fluid mixer including a mixing element configured to separate the cold water into a plurality of spaced apart cold water streams, to separate the hot water into a plurality of spaced apart hot water streams, and to mix individual ones of the cold water streams and the hot water streams into a plurality of spaced apart mixed water streams, the fluid mixer being further configured to combine the plurality of mixed water streams into a combined mixed water provided to the water outlet;
- and
- a controller operably coupled to the cold water valve and the hot water valve, the controller being configured to adjust the cold water valve and the hot water valve to regulate a mixed water temperature of the mixed water to substantially correspond to the desired water temperature.
The water delivery system of claim 37, wherein the controller is configured to regulate the mixed water temperature based on at least one characteristic of the cold water source, at least one characteristic of the hot water source, and at least one characteristic of the mixed water, wherein controller operates in a feed forward manner when the mixed water temperature is unstable and in a feed back manner when the mixed water temperature is stable, the feed forward manner providing for the adjustment of the cold water valve and the hot water valve based on the at least one characteristic of the hot water and the at least one characteristic of the cold water, and the feed back manner providing for the adjustment of the cold water valve and the hot water valve based on the at least one characteristic of the mixed water.
The water delivery system of claim 37, further comprising:
- a cold water servo motor coupled to the cold water valve and configured to control the position of the cold water valve;
- a hot water servo motor coupled to the hot water valve and configured to control the position of the hot water valve;
- and
- wherein the controller is configured to generate a cold water pulse width modulated signal to control the cold water servo motor for positioning the cold water valve, and to generate a hot water pulse width modulated signal to control the hot water servo motor for positioning the hot water valve.
The water delivery system of claim 37, further comprising:
- an outlet restriction in fluid communication with the mixed water outlet,
- an outlet pressure sensor coupled to the mixed water outlet and configured to measure the pressure of the mixed water;
- and
- wherein the controller is configured to adjust the cold water valve and the hot water valve based on the pressure of the mixed water in order to actively compensate for the outlet restriction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.