Fluid Valve With Multiple Inlets And Outlet

A multi-flow valve, comprising:

• a valve housing in which a spindle, a fluid flow selector plate and an inlet/outlet plate are received and a surface plate affixed to a proximal end of the valve housing abutting a proximal side of the inlet/outlet plate, a distal side of the inlet/outlet plate abutting a proximal side of the fluid flow selector;
• the inlet/outlet plate having first, second and third inlet openings and a first outlet opening and a mixed flow outlet opening with the surface plate having corresponding inlet openings and outlet openings fluidly coupled to the corresponding first, second and third inlet openings and first outlet opening and mixed flow outlet opening of the inlet/outlet plate;
• the fluid flow selector plate having an offset arcuate channel therein;
• the fluid flow selector rotatable with respect to the inlet/outlet plate among a plurality of rotational positions, the rotational positions including a closed position and a first open position, the offset arcuate channel bridging across the first inlet opening to the first outlet opening when the fluid flow selector is in the first open position to fluidly couple the first inlet opening to the first outlet opening and the offset arcuate channel not bridging across the first inlet to the first outlet when the fluid flow selector is in the closed position;
• the fluid flow selector plate having a mixed flow fluid passage comprising an elongate central channel in the fluid flow selector;
• the fluid flow selector plate movable radially with respect to the inlet/outlet plate among at least an auxiliary flow position, a neutral flow position and a mixed-flow position;
• the offset arcuate channel of the fluid flow selector plate lying in an arc in which the first inlet opening and the first outlet opening lie when the fluid flow selector plate is in the auxiliary flow position and the offset arcuate channel does not lie in this arc when the fluid flow selector plate is not in the auxiliary flow position and when the fluid flow selector plate is not in the auxiliary flow position the offset arcuate channel does not fluidly couple the first inlet opening to the first outlet opening regardless of the rotational position of the fluid flow selector plate;
• the plurality of rotational positions among which the fluid flow selector plate can be rotated including when the fluid flow selector plate is in the mixed flow position a mixed flow on position in which a section of the elongate channel extends over the second and third fluid inlets and the elongate channel bridges across and the second and third fluid inlets to the mixed flow outlet opening to fluidly couple the second and third fluid inlets to the mixed flow outlet, a second flow on position in which the section of the elongate channel extends over the second inlet opening and the elongate channel bridges across the second inlet opening and the mixed flow outlet opening to fluidly couple the second inlet opening to the mixed flow outlet opening but does not bridge across the third inlet opening to the mixed flow outlet opening, and a third flow on position in which the section of the elongate channel extends over the third inlet opening and the elongate channel bridges across the third inlet opening to the mixed flow outlet opening to fluidly couple the third inlet opening to the mixed flow outlet opening but does not bridge across the second inlet opening to the mixed flow outlet opening;
• and
• wherein when the fluid selector plate is in the neutral flow position none of the inlet openings and outlet openings are fluidly coupled to each other regardless of the rotational position of the fluid selector plate.

A multi-flow valve, comprising:

• a valve housing in which a spindle, a fluid flow selector and an inlet/outlet plate are received and a surface plate affixed to a proximal end of the valve housing abutting a proximal side of the inlet/outlet plate, a distal side of the inlet/outlet plate abutting a proximal side of the fluid flow selector;
• the inlet/outlet plate having first, second and third inlet openings and a first outlet opening and a mixed flow outlet opening with the surface plate having corresponding inlet openings and outlet openings fluidly coupled to the corresponding first, second and third inlet openings and first outlet opening and mixed flow outlet opening of the inlet/outlet plate;
• the fluid flow selector comprising inner and outer concentric disks that are each rotatable independently of each other with respect to the inlet/outlet plate, the outer concentric disk having an arcuate offset channel therein, the inner concentric disk having a mixed flow fluid passage comprising an elongate central channel in the fluid flow selector plate;
• the outer concentric disk rotatable with respect to the inlet/outlet plate among a plurality of rotational positions, the rotational positions including a closed position and a first open position, the offset arcuate channel bridging across the first inlet opening to the first outlet opening when the fluid flow selector is in the first open position to fluidly couple the first inlet opening to the first outlet opening and the offset arcuate channel not bridging across the first inlet to the first outlet when the fluid flow selector is in the closed position;
• at least the inner concentric disk movable radially with respect to the inlet/outlet plate among at least a neutral flow position and a mixed-flow position;
• the plurality of rotational positions among which the inner concentric disk can be rotated when the inner concentric disk is in the mixed flow position including a mixed flow on position in which a section of the elongate channel extends over the third and fourth fluid inlets and the elongate channel bridges across the second and third inlet openings to the mixed flow outlet opening to fluidly couple the second and third inlet openings to the mixed flow outlet, a second flow on position in which the section of the elongate channel extends over the second inlet opening and the elongate channel bridges across the second inlet opening and the mixed flow outlet opening to fluidly couple the second inlet opening to the mixed flow outlet opening and does not bridge across the third inlet opening to the mixed flow outlet opening and a third flow on position in which the section of the elongate channel extends over the third inlet opening and the elongate channel bridges across the third inlet opening to the mixed flow outlet to fluidly couple the third inlet opening to the mixed flow outlet opening but does not bridge across the second inlet opening to the mixed flow outlet opening;
• and
• wherein when the inner concentric disk is in the neutral flow position neither of the second and third openings are fluidly coupled to the mixed flow outlet opening regardless of the rotational position of the fluid selector plate.

A water dispenser comprising:

• a conditioned water source, a multi-flow valve and a faucet spout;
• the multi-flow valve including:
• a valve housing in which a spindle, a fluid flow selector and an inlet/outlet plate are received and a surface plate affixed to a proximal end of the valve housing abutting a proximal side of the inlet/outlet plate, a distal side of the inlet/outlet plate abutting a proximal side of the fluid flow selector plate;
• the inlet/outlet plate having first and second inlet openings and first and second outlet openings with the surface plate having corresponding first and second inlet openings and first and second outlet openings fluidly coupled to the corresponding first and second inlet openings and first and second outlet openings of the inlet/outlet plate, the first and second inlet openings of the surface plate providing provide first and second inlets of the valve and the first and second outlet openings of the surface plate providing first and second outlets of the valve;
• the fluid flow selector having a fluid flow passage therein;
• the fluid flow selector rotatable with respect to the inlet/outlet plate among a plurality of rotational positions, the rotational positions including a closed position, a first open position and a second open position, the fluid flow passage bridging across only the first inlet opening to the first outlet opening when the fluid flow selector is in the first open position to fluidly couple the first inlet opening to the first outlet opening, the fluid flow passage bridging across only the second inlet opening to the second outlet opening to fluidly couple the second inlet opening to the second outlet opening when the fluid flow selector is in the second open position, and the fluid flow passage not bridging across the first inlet to the first outlet and not bridging across the second inlet to the second outlet when the fluid flow selector is in the closed position;
• and
• the first outlet of the valve fluidly coupled to the conditioned water source, the second outlet of the valve fluidly coupled to an outlet line of the faucet spout and an outlet of the water source fluidly coupled to the outlet line of the faucet spout.

A water dispenser, comprising:

• a faucet spout and a multi-flow valve;
• the multi-flow valve including:
• a valve housing in which a spindle, a fluid flow selector and an inlet/outlet plate are received and a surface plate affixed to a proximal end of the valve housing abutting a proximal side of the inlet/outlet plate, a distal side of the inlet/outlet plate abutting a proximal side of the fluid flow selector plate;
• the inlet/outlet plate having first and second inlet openings and first and second outlet openings with the surface plate having corresponding inlet openings and outlet openings fluidly coupled to the corresponding first and second inlet openings and first and second outlet openings of the inlet/outlet plate;
• the first outlet opening of the surface plate fluidly coupled to a first water outlet line of the faucet spout and the second outlet opening of the surface plate fluidly coupled to either the first water outlet line or a second water outlet line of the faucet spout;
• the fluid flow selector having a fluid flow passage therein;
• and
• the fluid flow selector rotatable with respect to the inlet/outlet plate among a plurality of rotational positions, the rotational positions including a closed position, a first open position and a second open position, the fluid flow passage bridging across only the first inlet opening to the first outlet opening when the fluid flow selector is in the first open position to fluidly couple the first inlet opening to the first outlet opening, the fluid flow passage bridging across only the second inlet opening to the second outlet opening to fluidly couple the second inlet opening to the second outlet opening when the fluid flow selector is in the second open position, and the fluid flow passage not bridging across the first inlet to the first outlet and not bridging across the second inlet to the second outlet when the fluid flow selector is in the closed position.