Single handle mixing valve with an improved ball valve

In a faucet mixer valve having a movable ball valve element mounted in a housing body that defines a cavity, said body having a plurality of inlet ports and an outlet port in fluid communication with said cavity, said ball valve element cooperating with said inlet ports to control liquid flow in both flow rate and temperature mix through said ports, said ball valve body having a control opening therethrough, said valve element having a control stem connected thereto and extending through said control opening, the improvement characterized by:

• said mixer valve being in cartridge form with a cartridge having a housing member;
• said cartridge housing member having an upper opening for allowing said control stem passing therethrough;
• said cartridge having a lower opening through which said movable ball valve element protrudes into said recess in said housing body to be cooperative with said inlet ports;
• a sealing gasket being seated between said ball valve and said cartridge housing for preventing fluid flow through said upper opening in said cartridge housing;
• said ball valve having a first arcuate slot therethrough;
• a protrusion being translationally affixed to said cartridge and extending through said slot of said ball, said ball being rotatable about an axis of said protrusion at a point where it extends through said slot of said ball;
• a support extending from said protrusion within a hollow interior section of said ball to abut against an upper section of the ball valve to provide a support against the ball from dropping down through the lower opening of said cartridge.

A ball valve cartridge for a mixer valve characterized by:

• a ball valve element having at least one inlet and an outlet;
• said cartridge housing member having an upper opening for allowing a control stem passing therethrough;
• a cartridge housing having a lower opening through which said movable ball valve element protrudes, said ball valve element being seatable in proximity to inlet ports with said mixer valve below said cartridge such that its at least one inlet is selectively alignable or misalignable with said inlet ports;
• a sealing gasket being seated between said ball valve and said cartridge housing for preventing fluid flow through said upper opening in said cartridge housing;
• said ball valve having a first arcuate slot therethrough;
• a protrusion being translationally affixed to said cartridge and extending through said slot of said ball, said ball being rotatable about an axis of said protrusion at a point where it extends through said slot of said ball;
• a support extending from said protrusion within a hollow interior section of said ball to abut against an upper section of the ball valve to provide a support against the ball from dropping down through the lower opening of said cartridge.

In a faucet mixer valve having a movable ball valve element mounted in a housing body that defines a cavity, said body having a plurality of inlet ports and an outlet port in fluid communication with said cavity, said ball valve element cooperating with said inlet ports to control liquid flow in both flow rate and temperature mix through said ports, said valve body having a control opening therethrough, said valve element having a control stem connected thereto and extending through said control opening in a cap member, the improvement characterized by:

• said cap member having a seal seat about said control opening;
• a sealing gasket seated in said seal seat about said upper opening in said cap member and sealingly abuttable against said movable ball valve element;
• said ball valve having a first arcuate slot therethrough aligned substantially with a great circle of said ball;
• a shaft being journaled in said body against any lateral sliding motion and extending through said slot of said ball, said ball being rotatable about an axis of said shaft at a point where said shaft extends through said slot of said ball;
• said shaft extending into the interior of said ball valve;
• and
• a brace affixed against an upper section of said ball valve and extending to and abutting the shaft.