Mixer valve having a ball valve element
AssigneeMasco Corporation
InventorAlfons Knapp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ball type mixer valve (20) has a housing (25) and a ball valve element (11) mounted for pivotable motion about a longitudinal axis (A) of the housing (25) and a second perpendicular axis (B) that is fixed with respect to the ball valve element (11). The ball valve element has a control stem (10) extending therefrom and a pin (15) extending at a substantially perpendicular angle from the control stem. Two distal ends (16 and 17) of pin (15) form pivots which are received in slots (7) formed in the valve housing to position the ball vertically in the housing and allow the motion of the ball about the two defined axes.
Claims33
In a mixer valve for liquids having a ball valve pivotably mounted in a valve receiving cavity of a housing body, said body having a plurality of ports in fluid communication with said cavity, said ball valve having a plurality of openings in an outer at least partially spherical valve surface, said openings cooperating with said ports to control liquid flow through said ports, said valve body having a control opening therethrough with a longitudinal axis of said valve body passing through said control opening, said ball valve having a first projection in the form of a control stem connected thereto and extending through said control opening, the improvement comprising:
- one of said valve body and said ball valve having a second projection extending therefrom and engaging a slot in the other of said valve body and said ball valve, said second projection and slot being positioned and angled such that said ball valve is constrained to pivotable motion about said longitudinal axis and about an axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.
In a ball valve for a mixer valve, said ball valve comprising:
- a substantially spherical shaped valve surface;
- a plurality of openings in said valve surface and in fluid communication with each other;
- a first projection extending from said valve surface and located at a fixed location on said valve surface for driving said ball valve when mounted in a valve body;
- a second projection extending from said valve surface and located at a fixed location on said valve surface for constraining motion of said ball valve when mounted in a valve body;
- and
- said second projection being formed by a pin passing through said ball comprising having at least one distal end positioned to the exterior of the spherical valve surface.
A ball valve cartridge for a mixer valve comprising:
- a lower body member and upper body member constructed to be connected together;
- said lower body member having an internal partially spherical valve surface which forms a ball valve receiving cavity in conjunction with said upper valve body member;
- said lower body member having at least two straight inlet ports therethrough, said ports being positioned below the center of said ball valve and each having a longitudinal axis intersecting the center of said ball valve cavity;
- and
- said lower body member having a lower outer surface with a contour and positioned such that said axes of said straight inlet ports intersect said contour at a perpendicular angle.
In a mixer valve for liquids having a ball valve pivotably mounted in a valve receiving cavity of a housing, said housing having a plurality of ports in fluid communication with said cavity, said ball valve having a plurality of openings in an outer at least partially spherical valve surface, said openings cooperating with said ports to control liquid flow through said ports, said valve housing having a control opening therethrough with a longitudinal axis of said valve housing passing through said control opening, said ball valve having a first projection in the form of a control stem connected thereto and extending through said control opening, the improvement comprising:
- means affixed to the valve housing and ball valve and cooperating with each other for constraining pivotable motion of the ball valve with respect to the valve housing about said longitudinal axis of said housing and about an axis of said ball valve that is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis without the addition of any third member that is movable with respect to both the ball valve and housing.
A mixing valve for a faucet characterized by:
- a faucet body having a cartridge receiving chamber;
- a replaceable cartridge being seated in the chamber of the faucet body, said cartridge having a ball valve receiving cavity;
- a ball valve pivotably mounted in the ball valve receiving cavity of said cartridge;
- said cartridge having at least two inlet ports passing straight therethrough and free of bends with each port having a longitudinal axis intersecting the center of said ball valve cavity;
- said cartridge having a lower outer surface with a contour and positioned such that said axes of said inlet ports intersect the lower surface contoured at a perpendicular angle;
- said faucet body having fluid inlets passing therethrough and having a surface complementarily shaped with respect to the lower surface of the cartridge such that the axes of each fluid inlet is angled at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the complementarily shaped surface of the faucet body and seats the cartridge lower surface;
- said fluid inlets of the faucet body being in fluid communication with respective inlet ports in the cartridge with a seal being positioned about a respective inlet port at a junction of the faucet body with the cartridge to form inlet passages that are bent at the junction of the faucet body with the cartridge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.