Water distribution valve

A rotary valve comprising:

• a box having a cylindrical box wall, defining a first internal space therein, having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of ports in said box wall peripherally of said longitudinal axis opening into said space, said plurality of ports including first and second inlet ports and n outlet ports, n being an integer greater than 1;
• and
• a cup having a cylindrical cup wall, mounted in said first internal space in said box for rotation about said longitudinal axis such that said cup wall rotates in sliding contact with said box wall;
• said cup wall defining therein a second internal space within said first internal space, and having a plurality of holes opening into said second internal space, said plurality of holes including 2n inlet holes forming n pairs of first and second inlet holes, one pair for and associated with each outlet port, and n outlet holes, one outlet hole for and associated with each outlet port, said plurality of holes and said plurality of ports being located and shaped such that there are n sets of angularly spaced first, second and third successive angular positions of said cup about said axis relative to said box, one set for and associated with each outlet port, and for any one of said outlet ports successive rotation of said cup to the first, second and third successive angular positions of the associated set:
• radially aligns in turn said first inlet port with the first inlet hole of the associated pair, said first and second of said inlet ports respectively with the first and second inlet holes of said associated pair, and said second inlet port with the second inlet hole of said associated pair, and
• concurrently and continuously during the rotation from said first angular position to said third angular position radially aligns the associated outlet hole with said any one of said outlet ports;
• whereby any one of a first fluid directed to said first inlet port, a second fluid directed to said second inlet port and both the first fluid and the second fluid respectively concurrently directed to said first inlet port and said second inlet port are directed into said second interior space and out any one of said outlet ports by rotating said cup to a corresponding one of said angular positions, and no drop in total cross-sectional area of overlap of said any one of said outlet ports and the associated pair of outlet holes occurs during said rotation between said first and said third angular positions of the associated set.