Metering faucet assembly including temperature control
AssigneeGeberit Technik AG
InventorEric Malapanes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A metering faucet assembly includes a metering cartridge valve assembly and a separate mixing control valve having a mixing valve stem that is offset relative to a valve actuator for the cartridge valve assembly and coupled to the valve actuator by a coupling mechanism that allows both the mixing valve and the cartridge valve assembly to be operated by a common operating handle. The coupling mechanism includes a slip gear mechanism that allows reciprocating movement of the operating member of the cartridge valve assembly to operate the cartridge valve and rotational movement of a mixing valve stem to operate the mixing valve. The slip gear mechanism provides an end of travel limit for the mixing valve stem and allows adjustment in the temperature limit of the hot or cold water in the mix.
Claims39
A faucet assembly comprising:
- a casing, said casing defining first and second fluid inlets and a fluid outlet;
- a fluid flow control valve within said casing, said fluid flow control valve having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said fluid outlet of said fluid flow control valve in fluid communication with said fluid outlet of said casing, said fluid flow control valve controlling fluid flow between said fluid inlet of said fluid flow control valve and said fluid outlet of said casing;
- a mixing valve within said casing, separate from said fluid flow control valve, said mixing valve interposed between said first and second fluid inlets of said casing and said fluid inlet of said fluid flow control valve, said mixing valve including a mixing valve member;
- and
- a valve actuator member extending along a first operating axis for operating said fluid flow control valve between flow preventing and flow permitting states, said valve actuator member coupled to said mixing valve member of said mixing valve, said mixing valve operable to adjust the mix of first and second fluids delivered to said fluid inlet of said fluid flow control valve, wherein said mixing valve member extends along a second operating axis that is offset with respect to said first operating axis.
A metering faucet assembly comprising:
- a casing, said casing defining hot and cold water inlets and a fluid outlet;
- a fluid flow control mechanism within said casing interposed between the hot and cold water inlets and said fluid outlet of said casing, said fluid flow control mechanism including a fluid flow valve operable between fluid flow preventing and fluid flow permitting states and a metering valve for causing said fluid flow control valve to be operated from said fluid flow permitting state to said fluid flow preventing state;
- a mixing valve within said casing, separate from said fluid flow valve, said mixing valve interposed between the hot and cold water inlets and an inlet of said fluid flow valve, said mixing valve including an elongated mixing valve member having a longitudinal axis that is offset with respect to an operating axis for said fluid flow valve;
- and
- an operating mechanism for operating said mixing valve to adjust the mixture of hot and cold water delivered to said fluid inlet of said fluid flow valve and operating said fluid flow valve to deliver the mixture of hot and cold water to said fluid outlet of said casing.
A metering faucet assembly comprising:
- a casing;
- a metering cartridge valve within said casing, said metering cartridge valve operable to deliver a mixture of a metered amount of hot and cold water from hot and cold water inlets of the casing to a fluid outlet of the casing;
- a mixing valve for determining the mixture of hot and cold water delivered to the fluid outlet of the casing, said mixing valve including an elongated mixing valve stem mounted in said casing, said mixing valve stem having a longitudinal axis;
- and
- a common operating mechanism for operating said metering cartridge valve and said mixing valve, said operating mechanism including an actuator member, said longitudinal axis of said mixing valve stem extending substantially parallel to an operating axis for an actuator member.
A metering faucet assembly comprising:
- a casing defining a cavity;
- a metering cartridge valve assembly within said cavity;
- a mixing valve separate from said metering cartridge valve assembly, said mixing valve including an elongated mixing valve stem mounted in said casing;
- and
- a common operating mechanism for operating said metering cartridge valve assembly and said mixing valve, wherein said mixing valve stem has a longitudinal axis that extends substantially parallel to an operating axis for an actuator member for said metering cartridge valve assembly.
A faucet assembly comprising:
- a casing;
- a fluid flow valve assembly within said casing, said fluid flow assembly including a shut off valve and a valve actuator disposed for reciprocating movement along an operating axis for operating said shut off valve between flow preventing and flow permitting positions;
- a mixing valve for adjusting a mixture of hot and cold water delivered to a fluid outlet of said casing, said mixing valve including a mixing valve stem mounted within said casing;
- and
- an operating mechanism including an actuator member for reciprocating said valve actuator of said fluid flow valve assembly and a coupling mechanism coupling said operating mechanism to said mixing valve stem, enabling said operating mechanism to operate said mixing valve, said coupling mechanism including a slip gear mechanism that permits at least reciprocation of said actuator member along said operating axis and rotation of said valve stem member about a further axis.
A method of adjusting the mixture of hot and cold water discharged by a faucet assembly, the faucet assembly including a fluid flow control valve within a casing, an operating mechanism for the fluid flow valve, including a valve actuator member adapted for reciprocating movement along an operating axis, and a mixing valve, said method comprising the steps of:
- mounting a mixing valve stem of the mixing valve on the casing with a longitudinal axis of the mixing valve stem extending parallel to the operating axis of the valve actuator member;
- coupling the mixing valve stem to the valve actuator member;
- rotating the operating mechanism to rotate the mixing valve stem about its longitudinal axis to change the setting of the mixing valve, thereby changing the mix of the hot and cold water supplied to an inlet of the fluid flow valve;
- and
- depressing the operating handle to operate the fluid flow valve to deliver the mixture to a fluid outlet of the faucet assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.