Secondary mixing valve hot port
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorJoseph William Beagen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermostatic mixing valve for mixing a hot fluid and a cold fluid to produce a tempered mixed fluid stream. The thermostatic mixing valve may have a valve body that defines a cold fluid inlet port, a hot fluid inlet port, a mixing chamber, a mixed fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the mixing chamber, and a hot fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the hot fluid inlet port and disposed upstream of the mixing chamber. In some cases, the hot fluid outlet port may be used to provide hot water directly to an appliance or other fixture that can use non-tempered hot water.
Claims18
A thermostatic mixing valve, comprising:
- a valve body defining:
- a cold fluid inlet port;
- a hot fluid inlet port;
- a mixing chamber;
- a mixed fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the mixing chamber;
- a hot fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the hot fluid inlet port;
- and
- a fluid flow regulator configured to regulate the relative flow of cold and hot fluid that is injected into the mixing chamber;
- wherein the hot fluid inlet port enters a first side of the valve body, and the mixed fluid outlet port exits a second side of the valve body that is opposite to the first side;
- wherein the hot fluid inlet port and the mixed fluid outlet port are at least substantially aligned along a common axis;
- wherein the fluid flow regulator includes a thermal element axially disposed within the mixing chamber;
- wherein the thermal element is configured to expand and contract axially in a direction transverse to the common axis.
A thermostatic mixing valve, comprising:
- a valve body including:
- a cold fluid inlet port;
- a hot fluid inlet port;
- a mixing chamber;
- a mixed fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the mixing chamber, wherein the hot fluid inlet port and the mixed fluid outlet port are at least substantially axially aligned along a common axis;
- and
- a hot fluid outlet port disposed upstream of the mixing chamber and in fluid communication with the hot fluid inlet port;
- wherein the mixing chamber is laterally offset from the common axis.
A thermostatic mixing valve, comprising:
- a valve body defining:
- a cold fluid inlet port;
- a hot fluid inlet port;
- a mixing chamber in fluid communication with the hot fluid inlet port and the cold fluid inlet port;
- a mixed fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the mixing chamber;
- a hot fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the hot fluid inlet port and disposed upstream of the mixing chamber;
- and
- a temperature adjustment mechanism for adjusting the temperature of the fluid exiting the mixed fluid outlet port of the valve body, wherein the temperature adjustment mechanism includes a rotatable hand wheel that is actuatable between a non-temperature adjusting position and a temperature adjusting position, wherein in the non-temperature adjusting position, rotating the rotatable hand wheel does not adjust the temperature of the fluid exiting the mixed fluid outlet of the valve body, and in the temperature adjusting position, rotating the rotatable hand wheel does adjust the temperature of the fluid exiting the mixed fluid outlet of the valve body;
- wherein the valve body defines a first fluid flow path from the hot fluid inlet port to the mixing chamber, and a second fluid flow path from the hot fluid inlet port to the hot fluid outlet port, the second fluid flow path oriented in a substantially opposite direction to the first fluid flow path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.