US 4,757,943 AGranted

Method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of a liquid

AssigneeNaiad Company USA

InventorsJac K. Sperling, Arthur J. Sable, D. Clark Everest, III, John A. Ciciora, Jerry H. Polson

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Abstract

A liquid temperature controlling method and apparatus are provided in which on/off valves are utilized. The on/off valves are housed in a compact manifold assembly having a number of channels through which hot and cold water flows to and from the valves. Each of the valves communicates with an orifice, with each orifice communicating with the hot water valves being of a different size to produce binary flow patterns of water exiting the hot water associated orifices and valves. Similarly, each of the orifices communicating with a cold water valve is of a different size so that the flow rate of water from each cold water associated orifice is related in a binary manner to the flow rates through the other cold water associated orifices and valves. Because of the greater viscosity of the hot water, it is preferable that the hot water associated orifices be of a smaller size than corresponding cold water orifices. The opening/closing of the valves is controlled using information stored in memory. The programmed information correlates valve openings with information relating to water temperature. When there is a difference between actual and desired temperatures, one or more different combinations of valves can be opened in a predetermined manner without cycling through all possible valve combinations defined between the current combination of valve openings and the next combination of valve openings whereby the difference between the actual and desired temperatures is rapidly reduced.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An apparatus for controlling the temperature of liquid such as water, comprising:

a plurality of on/off valve means, some of said on/off valve means including hot water on/off valve means for receiving relatively hot water therethrough and some of said on/off valve means including cold water on/off valve means for receiving relatively cold water therethrough, each of said on/off valve means being either fully opened or fully closed;
a plurality of orifices, each of said orifices being associated with at least one of said on/off valve means;
means for causing selected ones of said on/off valve means to open;
.monitoring means for sensing water temperature;
and
manifold means including a body for housing each of said plurality of orifices and each of said plurality of on/off valve means, said manifold means including at least a first input channel means for providing a path for water to at Ieast a number of said hot water on/off valve means and at least a second input channel means for carrying water to a number of said cold water on/off valve means, said manifold means further including a first output chnnel means, which is separate from and unaligned with said first input channel means and substantially parallel thereto, and a second output channel means, which is separate from and unaligned with said second input channel means and substantially parallel thereto, said manifold means also including a common output channel for receiving water from each of said first and second output channel means, at least two of said number of hot water on/off valve means being disposed in said body of said manifold means on substantially opposing sides of said first input channel means wherein hot water is initially received adjacent to said two hot water on/off valve means at substantially the same time and at least two of said number of cold water on/off valve means being disposed in said body of said manifold means on substantially opposing sides of said second input channel means wherein cold water is initially received adjacent to said two cold water on/off valve means at substantially the same time.

3 more elements

An apparatus for controlling the temperature of a liquid such as water, comprising:

manifold means having an outer surface and a plurality of channels through which water flows;
a plurality of on/off valve means, some of said on/off valve means for receiving relatively hot water therethrough and some of said on/off valve means for receiving relatively cold water therethrough, each of said on/off valves means being either fully opened or fully closed, each of said on/off valve means being held by said manifold means;
a plurality of orifices, each of said orifices communicating with one of said on/off valve means, the sizes of said orifices communicating with said hot water on/off valve means being in a predetermined size relationship relative to the other of said orifices Communicating with said hot water on/off valve means, said predetermined size relationship being a binary relationship wherein the amount of hot water outputted by each of said orifices being in a binary relationship to the amount of hot water outputted by each of said other orifices communicating with said hot water on/off valve means, each of said orifices communicating with one of said cold water on/off valve means being in a predetermined size relationship relative to the other of said orifices communicating with said cold water on/off valve means, said predetermind size relationship being a binary relationship wherein the amount of cold water outputted by each of said orifices being in a binary relationship to the amount of cold water outputted by each of said other orifices communicating with said cold water on/off valve means, each of said orifices communicating with said hot water on/off valve means being of a different size than each of said corresponding orifices communicating with said cold water on/off valve means;
temperature monitoring means in operative association with said manifold means;
actuating means for use in causing said on/off valve means to open, said actuating means being supported on said outer surface of said manifold means;
and
control means responsive to said temperature monitoring means for controlling the opening/closing of each of said on/off valve means.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 06/866,567Filed 22 May 1986 · continuation in part
Priority: 24 Dec 1984
Granted: 19 Jul 1988
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G05D 23/1393
By varying the mixing ratio of two fluids having different temperatures: characterised by the use of electric means
Y10T 137/87507
Dividing into parallel flow paths with recombining: electrical actuator
Y10T 137/87539
Dividing into parallel flow paths with recombining: having guide or restrictor
Y10T 137/87885
With flow control means for branched passages: sectional block structure