GB2266050A - Mixer valve for personal shower systems - Google Patents

Abstract

A mixer valve for a personal shower system has a stator disc (15) with a first hole (24) arranged to receive hot water and a second hole (25) arranged to receive cold water. A rotatable disc (16) has a third hole (30) arranged to co-operate with said first hole and a fourth hole (31) arranged to co-operate with said second hole. A valve chamber has a first portion (17) defining inlet ports (20, 21) for supplying hot and cold water to the first and second holes and a second portion (18) arranged to mix hot and cold water received from the third and fourth holes. The second portion also defines an outlet port (42) for the mixed water. The second portion (18) is rotatable relative to said first portion (17) and securable to said first portion to allow adjustment to the position at which the outlet port (42) extends from said second portion, before said portion is secured for operation. <IMAGE>

Description

MIXER VALVE FOR PERSONAL SHOWER SYSTEMS The present invention relates to a mixer valve for personal shower systems.

Personal shower systems are known which receive separate supplies of hot and cold water to produce an output at the desired volume and temperature, without requiring an additional energy source. In sophisticated systems of this type, means may be provided for selecting a specific water temperature along with thermostatic control means for automatically controlling the water mixing, so as to maintain the selected temperature. Such a system is shown in United Kingdom patent publication number 2232080.

A problem with known sophisticated systems is that they are prohibitively expensive, particularly in the "do-ityourself" market. As an alternative to thermostatic control, separate manual controls may be provided for each of the hot and cold supplies but it is difficult to obtain the required water mix. It is also known to provide mixing means with a manually operable temperature control but this adds to the complexity and expense of the system.

The present invention may provide an improved personal shower mixer valve of the type for receiving hot and cold water and supplying mixed water, ready to flow into a readily available shower hose and shower head, wherein said valve preferably allows ease of installation.

According to the present invention there is provided a shower mixer valve having a rotatable actuating control member, an outlet and at least two inlets, wherein the inlets are adjustable relative to the outlet during assembly or mounting of the mixer valve to at least a plurality of positions around a circle described by rotation of the inlets about the axis of rotation of the control member.

It is possible to allow hot and cold inlet pipes to come into the mixer valve from any of a plurality of predetermined positions, while maintaining the output into a shower hose at any optimum position.

Preferably the shower mixer comprises a stator having a first hole arranged to receive hot water and a second hole arranged to receive cold water, a rotor having a third hole arranged to co-operate with said first hole and a fourth hole arranged to co-operate with said second hole, a valve chamber having a first portion defining inlet ports for supplying hot and cold water to said first and second holes and a second portion arranged to mix hot and cold water received from said third and fourth holes and defining an outlet port for said mixed water, wherein said second portion is rotatable relative to said first portion and securable to said first portion in a plurality of relative positions to allow adjustment to the position at which the outlet port extends from said second portion before said portion is secured for operation.

Constructional embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a shower mixer valve according to the present invention; Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional elevation of the assembled mixer valve of Figure 1; Figure 3 shows an external perspective view of a mixer valve substantially according to Figure 1 and 2; Figure 4 shows an exploded view of a shower mixer valve according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 shows an exploded view of the control knob assembly of the second embodiment, in the opposite direction to that shown in Figure 4; Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional elevation of the assembled mixer valve of the second embodiment; and Figure 7 shows an external perspective view of the assembled mixer valve of the second embodiment.

The mixer valve shown in Figure 1 has a fixed ceramic stator disc 15 which cooperates with a rotatable ceramic rotor disc 16. The discs 15 and 16 are supported within a valve chamber comprising a first portion 17 and a second portion 18. The first portion of the valve chamber 17 is secured to a wall where the shower is to be used, for example in a shower cubicle. Before being fixed, the first portion 17 may be rotated about a central axis 19 to facilitate the connection of water supplies. Portion 17 includes a hot water supply inlet port 20 and a cold water supply inlet port 21, arranged for connection to respective water supply pipes using conventional fittings.

Holes 22 and 23 in the first portion of the valve chamber 17 co-operate with first and second holes 24, 25 in the stator disc 15. A sealing ring 26 and a similar ring not shown provide a watertight seal between the first portion 17 and the static stator disc 15.

The stator disc 1 is held in place within the first portion 17 by means of a lug 27 which extends from the first portion of the valve chamber and is closely engaged within a slot 28 of the stator disc 15. The lug 27 extends beyond the thickness of the stator disc 15 and engages an elongate slot 29 of the rotor disc 16. Thus, the lug 27 holds the stator disc in place, preventing rotation of said disc, whilst defining the extent of rotation of the rotor disc 16.

The rotor disc 16 has a pair of kidney-shaped apertures 30, 31 extending therethrough, which co-operate with annular holes 24 and 25 and are shaped so that the amount of flow through these holes is varied as the rotor disc 16 is rotated. A knob 32 is rotated by a user to initiate water flow and to attain a comfortable operating temperature, often referred to as the "comfort zone". A crank 33 engages a slot 34 in the rotor disc 16, extends through a central hole 35 in the second portion 18 of the valve chamber, and engages a slot at the back of the knob 32. As shown in Figure 2, central hole 35 has a tapered portion and a seal is formed by means of an O-ring 36 which is forced into the tapered portion by means of a spring 37.

A further spring 38 larger than and surrounding spring 37 is under compression and forces discs 15 and 16 together, so that they are maintained in contact despite the hydrostatic pressure of the incoming water supply.

A decorative cowling 39, Figures 2 and 3, is also provided over the first portion of the valve chamber which, in addition to performing other functions, covers screws 40 which secure the second portion 18 of the valve chamber to the first portion 17 of said chamber. A separate cowling 56 surrounds the second portion 18 and is rotatably adjustable independently of the first cowling 39 and knob 32, thus enabling outlet pipe 42 of the mixing chamber to be conveniently positioned around a circumference described by rotation of the pipe 42 about the axis 19.

The valve assembly is designed to facilitate connection to existing hot and cold water supplies. The second portion 18 is rotatable about the central axis 19 when being connected to the first portion 17. A plurality of screws 40 engage in tapped holes 41 formed in the first portion 17. During connection, screws 40 need not be fully removed from their tapped holes and need only be released so as to facilitate rotation of the second portion 18.

Said second portion 18 is rotated so that, with the first portion having been rotated to any selected position, an outlet pipe 42 can be rotated to any selected position.

Thus, the outlet pipe 42 may be easily positioned in a preferred orientation, usually vertically downwards, irrespective of the angle at which the hot and cold water pipes are directed towards the valve. Thus, an aesthetically configured valve may be positioned with minimal additional plumbing.

A large O-ring 43 provides a seal between the first portion 17 and the second portion 18, once screws 40 have been secured in place. The second portion 18 is provided with a lip 44, which is held in place by the heads of screw 40. In the example, five securing screws 40 are provided and it should be noted that sufficient screws must be provided to withstand the operating pressure within the valve.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 7 a toothed disc 46 is attached to knob 32 having lugs 52 which enable it to be snapped onto the valve at any preferred angle. A temperature description disc 57 located immediately under the knob is also free to rotate into any preset position to accommodate these considerations. A screw 49 passes centrally through discs 15 and 16 and first portion 17 and is held captive in disc 16 by means of a plastic seal 53, which also acts as a bearing. The screw 49 is secured by a spring 38 and nut 50 that can be adjusted after assembly to compensate for variations in the hydrostatic pressure of water supplies, to apply sufficient force to the discs 15 and 16 to ensure that they remain in contact.

A bearing pad 55 allows for differential rotary motion and a seal 54 is fixed under disc 15, to prevent water escaping from the mixing chamber in the second portion 18 to the outside environment. The same aforementioned seal also acts as a rotor bearing between the two discs 15 and 16.

Claims (8)

1. A shower mixer valve having a rotatable actuating control member, an outlet and at least two inlets wherein the inlets are adjustable relative to the outlet during assembly or mounting of the mixer valve to at least a plurality of positions around a circle described by rotation of the inlets about the axis of rotation of the control member.

2. A mixer valve according to claim 1, comprising a stator having a first hole arranged to receive hot water and a second hole arranged to receive cold water, a rotor having a third hole arranged to co-operate with said first hole and a fourth hole arranged to co-operate with said second hole, a valve chamber having a first portion defining inlet ports for supplying hot and cold water to said first and second holes and a second portion arranged to mix hot and cold water received from said third and fourth holes and defining an outlet port for said mixed water, wherein said second portion is rotatable relative to said first portion and securable to said first portion in a plurality of relative positions to allow adjustment of the position at which the outlet port extends from said second portion before said portion is secured for operation.

3. A mixer valve according to claim 2, wherein the rotor and stator are discs, the first and second holes are circular in cross-section and the third and fourth holes are of kidney-shaped in cross-section.

4. A mixer valve according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein a cranked shaft extends through the second portion with one end of the shaft engaging the rotor and the other end engaging the control knob whereby the rotor is rotated as the actuating control member is rotated.

5. A mixer valve according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the first and second portions are substantially cylindrical, one portion having a plurality of screw or bolt threaded bores arranged substantially equidistantly around its axis and the other portion having a plurality of screw or bolt holes arranged likewise around its axis.

6. A method of assembling a valve for a personal shower system, comprising the steps of securing a first portion of a valve chamber to a wall, said first portion defining inlet ports for hot and cold water, connecting hot and cold water supplies to said inlet ports, mounting a stator relative to said first portion, said stator having first and second holes arranged to receive hot and cold water from said ports, arranging a rotor having third and fourth holes over said stator, wherein said third and fourth holes co-operate with said first and second holes, encasing said rotor by means of a second portion of a valve chamber, said second portion defining an outlet port and a mixing chamber, rotating said second portion relative to said first portion so as to move the outlet port to a desired position and securing said second portion to said first portion so as to seal the valve chamber.

7. A method according to claim 6, including securing said second portion to said first portion by means of a plurality of screws with the heads of the screws engaging a lip extending from said second portion.

8. A shower mixer valve substantially as described with reference to any one of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.