GB2297604A - Flow control mechanism - Google Patents
Flow control mechanism Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2297604A GB2297604A GB9502114A GB9502114A GB2297604A GB 2297604 A GB2297604 A GB 2297604A GB 9502114 A GB9502114 A GB 9502114A GB 9502114 A GB9502114 A GB 9502114A GB 2297604 A GB2297604 A GB 2297604A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- control mechanism
- flow control
- support member
- mechanism according
- flow
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16K—VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING
- F16K11/00—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves
- F16K11/02—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit
- F16K11/06—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements
- F16K11/072—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements with pivoted closure members
- F16K11/074—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements with pivoted closure members with flat sealing faces
- F16K11/0746—Multiple-way valves, e.g. mixing valves; Pipe fittings incorporating such valves with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit comprising only sliding valves, i.e. sliding closure elements with pivoted closure members with flat sealing faces with two or more closure plates comprising a single lever control
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Multiple-Way Valves (AREA)
Abstract
A flow control mechanism has two support members 5, 18 provided with respective ceramic discs 2, 3 arranged in face to face relationship in a body 8. One of the support members 18 is fixed relative to the body 8 and the other support member 5 has a sleeve 9 extending from the body 8 on which a control member 11 is mounted for rotating the support member 5 relative to the body 8 to vary the overlap of openings in the discs 2, 3 to control fluid flow. The fluid flows out of the mechanism through the sleeve.
Description
FLOW CONTROL MECHANISM
This invention relates to a mechanism for controlling fluid flow and in particular, though not exclusively, for controlling the flow of water in ablutionary installations.
Mixing valves for ablutionary shower installations are known having separate user operable controls for adjustable selection of water temperature and flow. In such valves, the water temperature is typically thermostatically controlled so as to maintain the selected water temperature constant and separate adjustment of the flow enables the user to vary the spray force for a given water temperature.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a flow control mechanism of simple, reliable construction suitable for mixing valves used in a wide range of applications having different requirements for installation andlor use including healthcare, education, military and leisure complexes.
According to the present invention we provide a flow control mechanism having a body in which two control elements are mounted in face to face relationship, each control element being provided with at least one through opening, the control elements being relatively rotatable to overlap at least partially the openings so that fluid can flow from an inlet through the openings to an outlet, and a support member for one of the control elements mounted for rotation in the body and having a sleeve extending from the body through which fluid can flow, the sleeve being adapted for rotating the support member to adjust the overlap of the openings for controlling fluid flow.
Other features, benefits and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIGURE 1 shows a flow control mechanism according to the invention in longitudinal section mounted on a mixer valve;
FIGURE 2 is a transverse section of the rotatable disc and support member; and
FIGURE 3 is a transverse section of the locking pin and outlet connector.
The flow control mechanism is shown mounted in an outlet 1 of a mixer valve for hot and cold water and comprises two relatively rotatable control elements in the form of discs 2,3 mounted in face to face relationship for controlling the flow rate of blended hot and cold water supplied to an ablutionary appliance (not shown). The discs 2,3 are made of ceramic material but other materials may be used.
The disc 2 is located in an annular seating 4 of a support member 5 made of plastics and is sealed on the face remote from the disc 3 by a rubber sealing ring 6 of circular section that is received in an annular groove 7 formed in the seating 4.
The support member 5 is mounted for rotation in an outer body 8 made of plastics or metal such as brass and has an axial sleeve 9 extending through a central aperture 10 at one end of the body 8 on which a manually operable control lever 11 and an outlet connector 12 are mounted.
The control lever 11 and sleeve 9 have co-operating axial serrations to secure the control lever 11 against rotation relative to the sleeve 9 and the outlet connector 12 is releasably secured to the sleeve 9 by a detachable locking pin 13 of U-shape to axially locate and retain the control lever 11.
The outlet connector 12 is provided with two cross-drillings 14 to receive the legs of the locking pin 13 which engage a circumferential external groove 15 in the sleeve 9 so that the support member 5 is free to rotate independently of the outlet connector 12 and the locking pin 13 is held firmly to withstand high tensile loads which may be applied in use.
A lip seal 16 is provided between the sleeve 9 and outlet connector 12 to prevent leakage and offers minimum friction for relative rotation of the sleeve 9 and outlet connector 12.
The disc 3 is located in an annular seating 17 of a support member 18 made of plastics and is sealed on the face remote from the disc 2 by a silicone rubber sealing bush 19 of rectangular section that is received in an annular groove 20 formed in the seating 17.
The support member 18 is provided with circumferentially spaced radial ears 21 arranged to snap engage corresponding undercuts 22 in a mounting flange 23 at the end of the body 8 remote from the support member 5 to secure the support member 18 against rotation and to retain the support member 5 with controlled pre-loading of the discs 2,3 being provided by compression of the sealing bush 19 to make a seal between the facing surfaces of the discs 2,3.
The discs 2,3 are identical and are provided with two circumferentially spaced radial lugs 24 arranged to engage corresponding radial recesses 25 in the associated support member 5,18 to secure each disc 2,3 against rotation relative to the associated support member 5,18 and has two through openings 26,27.
The support member 5 and associated disc 2 are rotatable over 1800 relative to the fixed support member 18 and associated disc 3 between two end positions determined by engagement of stops 28 on the support member 5 with a stop 29 on the support member 18.
In one end position, the openings 26,27 in the rotatable disc 2 are out of alignment with the corresponding openings 26,27 in the fixed disc 3 to prevent water flow. In the other end position, the openings 26,27 in the rotatable disc 2 are aligned with the corresponding openings 26,27 in the fixed disc 3 to permit water flow.
Between the end positions, the openings 26,27 in the disc 2 overlap the openings 26,27 in the disc 3 with the extent of the overlap changing as the disc 2 is rotated to vary the flow rate.
In this embodiment, the openings 26,27 are constructed and arranged to provide a proportional increase in flow per degree angular movement as the openings 26,27 in the disc 2 are brought into alignment with the openings 26,27 in the disc 3 and vice versa.
A thrust washer 30 is provided between the support member 5 and the body 8 to take up the hydraulic and mechanical forces imposed on the mechanism in both axial and radial directions to maintain alignment of the support member 5.
As will be apparent from the foregoing description, the flow control mechanism has an inlet 31 at one end provided by the support member 18 and a coaxial outlet 32 at the other end provided by the support member5 with the lever handle 11 mounted concentric with the flow path. As a result, the support member 5 is rotatable to adjust the overlap of the openings 26,27 in the discs 2,3 for controlling the flow with no deviation to the flow path between the inlet 31 and outlet 32.
In use, the flow control mechanism is located to the body 33 of the mixer valve by an axial projection 34 on the inlet 31 engaging a recess 35 in the outlet 1 for assembly in one orientation and is releasably secured to the body 33 by four screws 36 (one only shown) inserted through circumferentially spaced holes 37 in the mounting flange 23 to engage tapped bores 38 in the body 33 with a rubber sealing ring 39 of circular section between the support member 18 and the valve body 33 to seal the connection between the inlet 31 and the outlet 1.
The screws 36 are concealed by a skirt member 40 made of plastics which is attached to the mounting flange 23 by an internal rib 41 arranged to snap over an external shoulder 42 on the flange 23.
The locking pin 13 is concealed by a cap member 43 made of plastics which is releasably secured to the control lever 11 by resilient legs 44 arranged to snap into holes 45 in the control lever 11.
The outlet connector 12 could be rigidly clamped to a pipe or connected to a flexible hose for supplying temperature controlled blended water to a fixed shower head or handset (not shown). Alternatively, the outlet connector 12 could be provided with a swivelling outlet spout (not shown) for supplying temperature controlled blended water to a bath or washbasin.
It will be understood from the foregoing description of an exemplary embodiment that the flow control mechanism is of simple construction for assembly using snap or push fits thereby reducing the number of components required. In addition, the control elements are pre-loaded by the snap-fit of the fixed support member preventing penetration of dirt or debris between the co-operating faces of the control elements during shipment and installation of the flow control mechanism thereby ensuring reliable operation.
In the embodiment above-described, each control element has two through openings and the control elements are relatively rotatable over 180 to control flow. It will be understood this is not essential and that the number size, shape and arrangement of the through openings may be chosen to provide any desired flow control for relative rotation of less than 360 .
For example, the desired flow control may be obtained by relative rotation over 900 with at least one through opening in each control element.
Other alternatives or variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are deemed within the scope of the invention.
Claims (20)
1. A flow control mechanism having a body in which two control elements are mounted in face to face relationship, each control element being provided with at least one through opening, the control elements being relatively rotatable to overlap at least partially the openings so that fluid can flow from an inlet through the openings to an outlet, and a support member for one of the control elements mounted for rotation in the body and having a sleeve extending from the body through which fluid can flow, the sleeve being adapted for rotating the support member to adjust the overlap of the openings for controlling fluid flow.
2. A flow control mechanism according to Claim 1 wherein a support member for the other control element is fixed relative to the body.
3. A flow control mechanism according to Claim 2 wherein the fixed support member and the body are arranged to be snapped together to secure the fixed support member to the body.
4. A flow control mechanism according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the rotatable support member is axially located and retained by the fixed support member.
5. A flow control mechanism according to any one of Claims 2 to 4 wherein the fixed and rotatable support members are co-operable to limit relative rotation of the control elements.
6. A flow control mechanism according to any one of Claims 2 to 5 wherein each control element is located against rotation relative to the associated support member.
7. A flow control mechanism according to Claim 6 wherein each control element is mounted in an annular seating of the associated support member.
8. A flow control mechanism according to Claim 6 or Claim 7 wherein each control element is sealed relative to the associated support member on that face remote from the other control element.
9. A flow control mechanism according to Claim 8 wherein one of the control elements is sealed relative to the associated support member so as to axially pre-load the control elements when the fixed support member is secured to the body.
10. A flow control mechanism according to any one of the preceding
Claims wherein each control element is in the form of a disc.
11. A flow control mechanism according to Claim 10 wherein each disc is made of ceramic material.
12. A flow control mechanism according to any one of the preceding
Claims wherein an actuator member is mounted on the sleeve for rotating the rotatable support member.
13. A flow control mechanism according to Claim 12 wherein the actuator member comprises a lever.
14. A flow control mechanism according to Claim 12 or Claim 13 wherein the actuator member is retained by an end fitting rotatable relative to the sleeve.
15. A flow control mechanism according to any one of the preceding
Claims wherein the sleeve provides an outlet at one end of the body and the other end of the body has an inlet.
16. A flow control mechanism according to Claim 15 wherein the inlet is adapted for connection to an outlet of a mixer valve for hot and cold water.
17. A flow control mechanism according to Claim 16 wherein the inlet is adapted for locating the body in one orientation relative to the mixer valve.
18. A flow control mechanism comprises two support members provided with respective control elements arranged in face to face relationship in a body, one of the support members is fixed relative to the body, and the other support member has a sleeve that extends from the body and is adapted for rotating the support member relative to the body to vary the overlap of openings in the control elements for adjusting fluid flow.
19. A flow control mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
20. A mixer valve having an outlet communicating with the flow control mechanism according to any one of the preceding Claims.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9502114A GB2297604B (en) | 1995-02-03 | 1995-02-03 | Flow control device |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9502114A GB2297604B (en) | 1995-02-03 | 1995-02-03 | Flow control device |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB9502114D0 GB9502114D0 (en) | 1995-03-22 |
| GB2297604A true GB2297604A (en) | 1996-08-07 |
| GB2297604B GB2297604B (en) | 1999-04-07 |
Family
ID=10769033
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9502114A Expired - Lifetime GB2297604B (en) | 1995-02-03 | 1995-02-03 | Flow control device |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2297604B (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2853948A1 (en) * | 2003-04-16 | 2004-10-22 | Kerox Multipolar Ii Ipari Es K | Single control mixing valve arrangement for use in hospital, has one end of axial conduit coupled to mixing space, so that another end is coupled to borehole in outlet frame orifice coupled to rotating component above control arm |
| DE202016100108U1 (en) * | 2016-01-12 | 2017-04-19 | Klaus Klee | Ceramic disc valve |
Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0616156A1 (en) * | 1993-03-16 | 1994-09-21 | Kwc Ag | Cartridge for a single handle mixing valve |
-
1995
- 1995-02-03 GB GB9502114A patent/GB2297604B/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0616156A1 (en) * | 1993-03-16 | 1994-09-21 | Kwc Ag | Cartridge for a single handle mixing valve |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FR2853948A1 (en) * | 2003-04-16 | 2004-10-22 | Kerox Multipolar Ii Ipari Es K | Single control mixing valve arrangement for use in hospital, has one end of axial conduit coupled to mixing space, so that another end is coupled to borehole in outlet frame orifice coupled to rotating component above control arm |
| US7040348B2 (en) | 2003-04-16 | 2006-05-09 | KEROX Mulipolár II. Ipari és Kereskedelmi Kft. | Arrangement for a single-grip mixing faucet being operated by turning only |
| DE202016100108U1 (en) * | 2016-01-12 | 2017-04-19 | Klaus Klee | Ceramic disc valve |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB9502114D0 (en) | 1995-03-22 |
| GB2297604B (en) | 1999-04-07 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 732E | Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977) | ||
| PE20 | Patent expired after termination of 20 years |
Expiry date: 20150202 |