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US 9,033,000 B2Granted
Valve cartridge with low point of contact for installation
AssigneeMoen Incorporated
InventorsMark S. Kacik, W. Randall Tucker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A one-handle valve cartridge has a low point of contact for installing the valve cartridge in a valve body. A retention nut bears down on the low point of contact to secure the valve cartridge in the valve body.
Claims25
A valve cartridge for controlling a flow rate of a fluid and operable to be secured in a valve body by a retaining member, the valve cartridge comprising:
- a housing having an upper cylindrical portion proximate a top surface of the housing and a lower cylindrical portion proximate a bottom surface of the housing;
- an actuating mechanism;
- and
- a fluid control member,
- wherein the fluid control member is disposed in the lower cylindrical portion of the housing,
- wherein a first portion of the actuating mechanism extends through an opening in the top surface of the housing and a second portion of the actuating mechanism is disposed in the upper cylindrical portion of the housing,
- wherein movement of the actuating mechanism moves the fluid control member to vary the flow rate of the fluid,
- wherein an installation ledge is formed where the upper cylindrical portion of the housing meets the lower cylindrical portion of the housing, the installation ledge being the highest point on the housing for contacting the retaining member, a height of the installation ledge being the height from the bottom surface of the housing to the installation ledge, and
- wherein the installation ledge is closer to the bottom surface of the housing than the top surface of the housing.
6 more elements
A valve cartridge for controlling a flow rate and a mixture ratio of cold water and hot water and operable to be secured in a valve body by a retaining member, the valve cartridge comprising:
- a housing having an upper cylindrical portion proximate a top surface of the housing and a lower cylindrical portion proximate a bottom surface of the housing;
- an actuating mechanism;
- a movable control member;
- and
- a fixed control member,
- wherein at least one of the movable control member and the fixed control member are disposed in the lower cylindrical portion of the housing,
- wherein a first portion of the actuating mechanism extends through an opening in the top surface of the housing and a second portion of the actuating mechanism is disposed in the upper cylindrical portion of the housing,
- wherein movement of the actuating mechanism about a first axis is operable to move the movable control member relative to the fixed control member to vary the flow rate of at least one of the cold water and the hot water,
- wherein movement of the actuating mechanism about a second axis is operable to move the movable control member relative to the fixed control member to vary the mixture ratio of the cold water and the hot water,
- wherein an installation ledge is formed where the upper cylindrical portion of the housing meets the lower cylindrical portion of the housing, the installation ledge being the highest point on the housing for contacting the retaining member, a height of the installation ledge being the height from the bottom surface of the housing to the installation ledge, and
- wherein the installation ledge is closer to the bottom surface of the housing than the top surface of the housing.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.