GB1590074A - Thermostatic valves - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THERMOSTATIC VALVES (71) We, AB MARKARYDS METALLAR MATUR, a company duly organized and existing under the laws of Sweden, of Järnavägsgatan 19, 285 00 Markaryd, Sweden, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - The present invention relates to thermostatic valves of the type preferably intended for use in radiator thermostats for heating systems, which arrangement permits complete closing of the valve independently of the prevailing temperature.

It is becoming more and more common to provide heat radiators with thermostatic valves to control the flow of hot water through the radiator in response to the The object of the present invention is to provide a thermostatic valve with an arrangement which permits closing of the valve independently of the temperature.

This object is achieved by the present invention which provides a thermostatic valve including a displaceable spindle unit and a valve seat, said spindle unit having a closure member cooperating with the valve seat, a thermostat by means of which the spindle unit is operable in response to temperature, and a thermostat setting control member, comprising an abutment member between the spindle unit and the thermostat setting control member, whereby the spindle unit is displaceable in such a way that in one mode of operation the closure member is movable by the thermostat setting control member in to a position in which it keeps the valve seat closed ambient temperature in the room where the radiator is installed.As a rule such radiator valves are so designed that the minimum temperature to which they can be set is about 10 , which means that the valve will be closed as soon as the room temperature exceeds this temperature. On the contrary, the valve will open as soon as the room temperature falls below the temperature set. It is often desired, however to make it possible to shut off a radiator quite independently of the temperature, without therefore having to close the entire heating system. To enable such a temperature-independent closure one has hitherto had to use a shut-off valve in series with the thermostatic valve employed. This, however, is both expensive and unpractical and, besides, in many cases it is found too unaesthetic.

independently of any temperature variations, while in another mode of operation the spindle unit is displaceable by the action of the thermostat to position the closure member in accordance with the temperature.

With the thermostat having a housing which is adjustable by means of the thermostat setting control member in the direction of displacement of the spindle unit, the abutment member may be arranged either on that end of the spindle unit which faces the thermostat and be directly mechanically engageable by the thermostat housing, or on the thermostat housing and be directed towards the spindle unit for direct mechanical engagement with the spindle unit.

The invention will be described more in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig 1 is a cross-sectional view of a thermostatic valve which is in an open position where the regulation takes place by means of the thermostat; and Fig. 2 shows the same thermostatic valve in a position where it is closed independently of the temperature.

The valve illustrated in the drawings is largely of a conventional design. Thus, the valve comprises a valve casing 1 with a valve seat 2 which cooperates with a valve disc 5 mounted on a valve spindle 4.

Screwed into the valve casing 1 in coaxial relationship with the valve seat 2 is a mounting and sealing member 3 in which the valve spindle 4 is mounted and sealed against the surrounding atmosphere. The thermostatic valve further comprises a frame member 13 which supports the thermostat of the thermostatic valve and the thermostat adjusting sleeve 9. The thermostat 6 includes a thermostat housing 7 which is so attached via an adjusting thread 10 in the frame member 13 that it will be adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the valve spindle 4 by screwing.

The adjusting sleeve 9 is attached on the thermostat housing 7 in such a way that it can be fixed rotationally in various positions relative to the thermostat housing.

The adjusting sleeve 9 or the portions of the frame member 13 adjacent said sleeve is provided with a graduation which indicates the set temperature of the thermostatic valve. By turning the adjusting sleeve 9 relative to the thermostat housing it will thus be possible to calibrate the thermostatic valve. The thermostat housing has a central portion projecting towards the valve spindle end serving to guide the operating pin 8 of the thermostat, said pin 8 being movable back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the valve spindle 4 in response to the room temperature.

The movements of the operating pin 8 are transferred to the valve spindle 4 via a compensating member 11 which, at normal regulation, may be regarded as a rigid unit and which comprises a cylindrical cage 14 in which there is arranged a compensating spring 12, which is relatively hard, and a pressure plate 15 which bears against the operating pin 8. The compensating member 11 is designed to take up such motion of the operating pin 8 of the thermostat as takes place when the room temperature continues to rise in spite of the fact that the thermostat 6, via the operating pin 8, the compensating member 11 and the valve spindle 4, has carried the valve disc 5 into engagement with the valve seat 2.Without the compensating member 11 the development of power in the thermostat 6 would have become so high with increasing temperature and with the valve closed that the thermostat would burst or some other part of the thermostatic valve would break.

In Fig 1 the thermostatic valve is shown in the position where it is open and the control of the throughflow area at the valve seat 2 is effected by means of the thermostat 6. In this case the room temperature is lower than the temperature set for the thermostatic valve by means of the adjusting thread 10, which means that the operating pin 8 of the thermostat is displaced to the right together with the compensating member 11 and the valve spindle 4 by means of the return spring 17. With rising room temperature the medium con- tained in the thermostat will expand, whereby the operating pin 8 of the thermostat will move to the left with respect to the figure so that the valve disc 5 moves towards the valve seat 2 via the valve spindle 4 and the compensating member 11 which in this connection behaves as a rigid body.By adjusting the thermostat housing 7 in the direction of the valve spindle by means of the adjusting thread 10 it is possible to choose that position for the operating pin 8 which corresponds to closing of the valve seat 2 by means of the valve disc 5, and as the movements of the operating pin 8 are proportional to the prevailing room temperature it is possible to choose the room temperature at which the thermostatic valve closes. If the thermostat housing 7 is screwed to the left with respect to the figure, the temperature required for closing the valve will be lower and lower, and normally the minimum temperature to which the thermostatic valve can be set has been chosen at about 10 C.

This means that as soon as the temperature is higher than 10 C, the operating pin 8 has been displaced so far to the left that the valve disc 5 bears against the valve seat 2 and the movements of the operating pin 8 commence being taken up by the compensating member 11. However, if the temperature should fall to a value below the value set (10 C), then the operating pin 8 will be displaced to the right, whereby the return spring 17 will move the valve disc 5, the valve spindle 4 and the compensating member, which now functions as a rigid unit, to the right, whereby the valve opens.

To permit closing of the thermostatic valve quite independently of the temperature there is arranged on the pressure plate 15 an abutment 18 which, in the embodiment shown, is formed as a short tubular sleeve extending towards the thermostat housing 7. The abutment 18 is of such axial length that, when the thermostatic valve is set at a temperature immediately below the adjustable minimum control temperature of the thermostat, it will come into direct contact with the thermostat housing 7. By further screwing the thermostat housing 7 a small amount towards the valve seat 2 it will thus be possible, positively and independently of the prevailing temperature, to move the compensating member 11, the valve spindle 4 and the valve disc 5 to the left so that the valve closes. In Fig 2 the valve is shown in the position where the thermostat housing 7 has been screwed into contact with the abutment 18 and then further to the point where sealing is established between the valve seat 2 and the valve disc 5. In this connection there is a gap 19 between that end of the operating pin 8 which is at the left with respect to the figure and that surface of the pressure plate 15 which the operating pin 8 normally bears against.

According to the invention that part 21 of the thermostat housing 7 in which the operating pin 8 is mounted can have an extension the length of which corersponds to the axial length of the tubular sleeve 18. (This embodiment is not shown in the drawings). In that case the abutment and mounting member 21 should suitably have an outer diameter that is somewhat larger than that shown in the drawings so that its end face will have a size which is sufficient to ensure bearing against the pressure plate 15. According to this invention it may also be suitable to arrange in the thermostat housing 7 one or more stop pins 20 intended to limit the zone within which the thermostat housing 7 can be adjustetd relative to the frame member 13.

These stop pins 20 will come to bear against appropriately shaped parts of the frame member 13 at the ends of the adjusting zone.

Although it is very suitable according to this invention to obtain the temperatureindependent closure of the valve by direct contact between the pressure plate 15 and the mounting and abutment member 21 of the thermostat housing, it may also be possible to bring appropriately shaped projections on the thermostat housing into contact with the end edge of the sleeve 14 facing the thermostat 6. In that case, however, the compensating member 11 will be disconnected, and this would make it possible to screw the thermostat housing inwards so far that damages to the valve would arise if the stop pins 20 are not arranged in a suitable manner.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: - 1. A thermostatic valve including a displaceable spindle unit and a valve seat, said spindle unit having a closure member cooperating with the valve seat, a thermostat by means of which the spindle unit is operable in response to temperature and a thermostat setting control member, comprising an abutment member between the spindle unit and the thermostat setting control member, whereby the spindle unit is displaceable in such a way that in one mode of operation the closure member is movable by the thermostat setting control member into a position in which it keeps the valve seat closed independently of any temperature variations, while in another mode of operation the spindle unit is displaceable by the action of the thermostat to position the closure member in accordance with temperature.

2. A thermostatic valve as in Claim 1, wherein the thermostat has a housing which is adjustable by means of the thermostat setting control member in the direction if displacement of the spindle unit, and wherein the abutment member is arranged on that end of the spindle unit which faces the thermostat, and is directly mechanically engageable by the thermostat housing.

3. A thermostatic valve as in Claim 1, wherein the thermostat has a housing which is adjustable by means of the thermostat setting control member in the direction of displacement of the spindle unit, and wherein the abutment member is arranged on the thermostat housing and is directed towards the spindle unit for direct mechanical engagement with the spindle unit.

4. A thermostatic valve substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. According to the invention that part 21 of the thermostat housing 7 in which the operating pin 8 is mounted can have an extension the length of which corersponds to the axial length of the tubular sleeve 18. (This embodiment is not shown in the drawings). In that case the abutment and mounting member 21 should suitably have an outer diameter that is somewhat larger than that shown in the drawings so that its end face will have a size which is sufficient to ensure bearing against the pressure plate 15. According to this invention it may also be suitable to arrange in the thermostat housing 7 one or more stop pins 20 intended to limit the zone within which the thermostat housing 7 can be adjustetd relative to the frame member 13. These stop pins 20 will come to bear against appropriately shaped parts of the frame member 13 at the ends of the adjusting zone. Although it is very suitable according to this invention to obtain the temperatureindependent closure of the valve by direct contact between the pressure plate 15 and the mounting and abutment member 21 of the thermostat housing, it may also be possible to bring appropriately shaped projections on the thermostat housing into contact with the end edge of the sleeve 14 facing the thermostat 6. In that case, however, the compensating member 11 will be disconnected, and this would make it possible to screw the thermostat housing inwards so far that damages to the valve would arise if the stop pins 20 are not arranged in a suitable manner. WHAT WE CLAIM IS: -

1. A thermostatic valve including a displaceable spindle unit and a valve seat, said spindle unit having a closure member cooperating with the valve seat, a thermostat by means of which the spindle unit is operable in response to temperature and a thermostat setting control member, comprising an abutment member between the spindle unit and the thermostat setting control member, whereby the spindle unit is displaceable in such a way that in one mode of operation the closure member is movable by the thermostat setting control member into a position in which it keeps the valve seat closed independently of any temperature variations, while in another mode of operation the spindle unit is displaceable by the action of the thermostat to position the closure member in accordance with temperature.

2. A thermostatic valve as in Claim 1, wherein the thermostat has a housing which is adjustable by means of the thermostat setting control member in the direction if displacement of the spindle unit, and wherein the abutment member is arranged on that end of the spindle unit which faces the thermostat, and is directly mechanically engageable by the thermostat housing.

3. A thermostatic valve as in Claim 1, wherein the thermostat has a housing which is adjustable by means of the thermostat setting control member in the direction of displacement of the spindle unit, and wherein the abutment member is arranged on the thermostat housing and is directed towards the spindle unit for direct mechanical engagement with the spindle unit.

4. A thermostatic valve substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.