Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2152313
A VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR THE SELECTIVE OPERATION OF A PLURALITY OF
PARALLELY CONNECTED LIQUID TREATMENT APPARATUSES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention refers to the field of treating liquids
like water by means of liquid treatment apparatuses, for example
water softeners. More specifically, the invention refers to a
valve assembly for the selective operation of a plurality of
parallely connected liquid treatment apparatuses in dependence
of the total consumption of treated liquid to improve the
efficiency of a liquid treatment plant.
The general problems in connection with the operation of
liquid treatment apparatuses may be seen in the fact that these
apparatuses are designed and optimized for a nominal capacity,
i.e. for a certain amount of liquid flowing trough them per time
unit. In the case of varying liquid throughput, particularly in
the case of water processing plants e.g. in home water installa-
tions, it happens quite often that the amount of water flowing
through the liquid treatment apparatus more or less differs from
the nominal throughput rate or capacity of the apparatus. In
practice, this means that e.g. water softeners operate most of
the time in a throughput range in which they show minor effi-
ciency.
A further problem occurs when such a liquid treatment appara-
tus is operated with a throughput more or less above its nominal
- 2 - 215231 ~
capacity. Besides the bad efficiency, a pronounced increase in
pressure drop may be observed under such operating conditions.
Thus, usually the liquid treatment apparatuses are over dimen-
sioned, i.e. their nominal capacity must be selected to be in
the region of the maximal liquid throughput to be expected.
PRIOR ART
In German Published Patent Application No. 43 00 585.3, cor-
responding to U.S. Patent Application S/N 177,286, filed on
January 4, 1994, in the name of Rudolf Schenk, a liquid
processing plant is disclosed which takes into account the above
mentioned problems. This liquid processing plant comprises an
inlet, an outlet and a plurality of liquid treatment apparatuses
arranged in parallel between the inlet and the outlet. One of
the liquid treatment apparatuses is directly connected to the
inlet and the outlet and the remainder of the liquid treatment
apparatuses is connected to the inlet via a valve assembly
having an inlet and an outlet and including a pressure relief
valve. Each of these valve assemblies opens on a different
pressure to selectively put into operation one liquid treatment
apparatus after the other one.
The valve assembly used in this liquid processing plant has a
housing comprising an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, a
valve seat arranged between the inlet chamber and the outlet
chamber, a valve body member for closing the valve seat,
actuated by a spring member, and means for adjusting the initial
3 _ 2l523l3
pretension force of the spring member. The valve body member is
movable against the initial pretension force of the spring
member under the action of the differential pressure existing
between the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber.
Such a water treatment plant requires a plurality of valve
assemblies. These valve assemblies are quite bulky and costly.
Thus, it would be desirable to render the valve assembly more
compact and less expensive.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a valve assembly
for the selective operation of a plurality of parallely
connected liquid treatment apparatuses in dependence of the
total consumption of treated liquid which improves the
efficiency of a water treatment plant.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a valve
assembly for the selective operation of a plurality of parallely
connected liquid treatment apparatuses in dependence of the
total consumption of treated liquid which is much smaller in
size, simpler in design and less costly to manufacture.
SU~ARY OF THE INVENTION
To meet these and other objects, the invention provides, ac-
cording to a first aspect, a valve assembly for the selective
operation of a plurality of parallely connected liquid treatment
apparatuses in dependence of the total consumption of treated
23077~14Pl
_ 4 _ 2152313
liquid. The valve assembly comprises a valve housing defining in
its interior an essentially cylindrical, elongated valve
chamber. The valve housing comprises either
- an inlet adapted to be connected to a source of liquid to
be treated and opening into the valve chamber, and a plu-
rality of outlets, each outlet adapted to be connected to
one of the liquid treatment apparatuses and opening into
the valve chamber, or
- an outlet adapted to be connected to one or several consum-
ers of treated liquid and opening into the valve chamber,
and a plurality of inlets, each inlet adapted to be con-
nected to one of the liquid treatment apparatuses and open-
ing into the valve chamber.
Further provided is a valve body assembly displaceably re-
ceived in the valve chamber and a spring arrangement for biasing
the valve body assembly to urge it into a rest position in which
one of the outlets, and inlets, respectively, communicates with
the inlet and outlet, respectively, and the remaining outlets
and outlets, respectively, are sealed against the inlet and
outlet, respectively.
The valve body assembly is displaceable in the valve chamber
in response to a rising liquid pressure difference between two
adjacent outlets or inlets to sequentially bring an increasing
number of the outlets or inlets in communication with the inlet
or outlet.
5 , 2ls23l3
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is pro-
vided a liquid processing plant comprising a plurality of paral-
lely connected liquid treatment apparatuses, a valve assembly
for the selective operation of the plurality of liquid treatment
apparatuses in dependence of the total consumption of treated
liquid. The valve assembly of such a liquid treatment plant is
designed as outlined just herein before.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following, some embodiments of the valve assembly will
be further described, with reference to the accompanying draw-
ings, in which:
Fig. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a
first embodiment of the valve assembly according to the inven-
tion;
Fig. 2 shows a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a
second embodiment of the valve assembly according to the inven-
tion,
Fig. 3 shows a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a
third embodiment of the valve assembly according to the inven-
tion;
Fig. 4 shows a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a
fourth embodiment of the valve assembly according to the inven-
tion,
Fig. 5 shows a schematic top view of a fifth embodiment of
the valve assembly according to the invention;
23077~50614P1
- 6 - 21 ~ 231 3
Fig. 6 shows a schematic sectional view of the fifth embodi-
ment of the valve assembly according to the invention, taken
along the line X-X in Fig. 5;
Fig. 7 shows a schematic view of a first embodiment of a liq-
uid treatment plant incorporating a valve assembly according to
Fig. 2; and
Fig. 8 shows a schematic view of a second embodiment of a
liquid treatment plant incorporating a valve assembly according
to Fig. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
In Fig. 1, there is shown a schematic longitudinal sectional
view of a first embodiment of the valve assembly according to
the present invention. The valve assembly comprises a valve
housing 1 provided with an inlet 2 and with three fittings 3, 4
and 5 which serve as outlets. The valve housing 1 comprises a
centrally located valve chamber 7; in the interior thereof, a
valve body member 9 is received such as to be displaceable in
the direction of a central longitudinal axis 6 of the valve
assembly. Two of the three fittings 3, 4 and 5 can be controlled
by means of the valve body member 9, i.e. can be opened or
closed with reference to the outlet 2. The two controllable
fittings 4 and 5 open into the valve chamber 7 along the path of
displacement of the valve body member 9.
The valve housing 1 is provided with a centrally located
guiding rod member 8 which serves for guiding the valve body
_ 7 _ 21 5231 3
member 9 when it travels along its path of displacement. Both
ends of the guiding rod member 8 are equipped with a male thread
used for connecting the guiding rod member 8 in the valve
housing 1. The valve body member 9 comprises a central bore such
that it can be displaceably received on the guiding rod member
8. In order to keep the valve body member 9 in a defined rest
position, it is biased by means of a spring member 10 coaxially
surrounding the guiding rod member 8; one end face of the spring
member 10 rests on the valve body member 9, while the other
opposite end face of the spring member 10 rests on a washer 11
fixed to the guiding rod member 8. The inlet 2 is coaxially
arranged with respect to the valve chamber 7 of the valve
housing 1, while the three outlets 3, 4 and 5 open into the
valve chamber 7 in radial direction. The side of the valve
housing 1 opposite to the inlet 2 is sealed.
In order to limit the path of displacement of the valve body
member 9 in the interior of the valve chamber 7 towards the
inlet 2, a stop member 12 is provided which is located between
the front most outlet 3 and the intermediate outlet 4. The valve
body member 9 which is biased by the spring member 10 abuts
against this stop member 12 when the valve body member 9 is in
its rest position.
~ n Fig. 1, the valve assembly is shown in an operating condi-
tion in which the valve body member 9 is in an intermediate
opera~ing position in which the central outlet 4 is open, i.e.
communicates with the inlet 2. It is understood that the valve
23077\950614P1
- 8 _ 21 5 231 3
body member 9 takes this intermediate operating position only
when it is displaced, against the force of the biasing spring
member 10, under the influence of a force exerted by the
pressure of a fluid flowing through the valve assembly. In the
rest position, when no liquid is flowing through the valve
assembly or when the force exerted by the liquid pressure and
acting against the valve body member 9 is lower than the biasing
force of the spring member 10, the valve chamber 7 is blocked
between the front outlet 3 and the central outlet 4 by means of
the valve body member 9. Thus, the central outlet 4 and the rear
outlet 5 are sealed against the inlet 2.
In the region of the inlet 2, the valve housing 1 is provided
with a female screw thread 14 which serves for connecting the
valve housing 1 to a (not shown) liquid feed pipe. The three
outlets 3, 4 and 5 are provided each with a male screw thread 15
for connecting the valve assembly to (not shown) outlet pipes or
(not shown) liquid treatment means.
In the embodiment according to Fig. 1, the distances between
the outlets 3 and 4 and between the outlets 4 and 5, respec-
tively, are equal; however, it should be pointed out that these
distances could be different, e.g. in the case when liquid
treatment means are connected directly to these outlets which
have different diameters. Moreover, in the case of different
dist~nces between the outlets, the path of displacement of the
valve body member 9 which is required for opening and closing,
respectively, of the outlets 4 and 5, respectively, is
9 2l~23l3
different; thus, the differential pressure of the liquid
required for opening one of the outlets may be influenced by the
exact position of the outlet along the longitudinal extension of
the valve housing 1. Alternatively, this effect can be realized
also by using a spring member 10 having a non-linear load-
deformation diagram.
In Fig. 2, there is shown a schematic longitudinal sectional
view of a second embodiment of the valve assembly according to
the present invention. The valve assembly comprises a valve
housing 20 composed of five individual housing modules 20A, 20B,
20C, 20D and 20E. It should be noted that the housing modules
20B, 20C and 20D are identical, while both the input module 20A
and the end module 20E are of different design, not only
compared to each other, but also to the modules 20B, 20C and
20D. In order to enable the individual housing modules 20A, 20B,
20C, 20D and 20E to be assembled to a valve housing 20, the
modules 20B, 20C, 20D and 20E are provided each with a recessed
circumferential collar 36 located at the ends directed towards
the input module 20A and having an outer diameter corresponding
to the inner diameter of the generally tubular housing modules
20A, 20B, 20C, 20D and 20E.
In order to seal the modules 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D and 20E
against each other and to seal the valve chamber 27 against the
outside, the modules are provided each with an annular sealing
member located in the region of their respective collars 36. The
individual modules 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D and 20E are connected to
- - 10- 215231,3
each other by means of a guiding rod member 28. One end of the
guiding rod member 28 is screwed into a threaded bore provided
in the input module 20A, and the other end of the guiding rod
penetrates the end wall of the end module 20E and bears a nut 37
located outside the end module 20E, thereby pressing the modules
20A, 20B, 20C, 20D and 20E together in the direction of the cen-
tral longitudinal axis 26.
The guiding rod member 28 is provided with a first valve body
member 29 as well as with a second valve body member 31 which
both are axially displaceable along the guiding rod member 28.
Fixed to the guiding rod member 28 are a first washer 33 as well
as a second washer 34. A first spring member 30 is inserted be-
tween the first valve body member 29 and the first washer 33 in
coaxial relationship to the guiding rod member 28 such as to
bias the first valve body member 29 in a direction towards the
input module 20A. A second spring member 32 is inserted between
the second valve body member 31 and the second washer 34 in
coaxial relationship to the guiding rod member 28 such as to
bias the second valve body member 29 in a direction towards the
input module 20A. The valve body members 29, 31 are designed as
poppet valves to seal the valve chamber 27 in each case in the
region of the collars 36 of the housing modules 20C and 20D
which serve in the present case as valve seats.
Not only the valve housing 20 is composed of a number of
modular units (i.e. the modules 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D and 20E);
also the valve body members 29, 31, the associated spring
21 $231 3 23077\~14Pl
members 30, 32 and the guiding rod member 28 can be designed as
parts of a modular system; thus, it is possible to design a
valve assembly adapted to any arbitrary configuration of water
treatment apparatuses by simply assembling a number of suitable
modules.
Due to the fact that the two valve body members 29, 31 of the
embodiment according to Fig. 2 are connected in serial relation-
ship, the differential liquid pressure which is present under
operational conditions at the second valve body member 31 is
lower than the one occurring at the first valve body member 29,
due to the pressure drop created in the region of the first
valve body member 29. For this embodiment, a spring member would
be desirable which keeps the valve body member in the closed
position until a certain liquid pressure is reached. As soon as
the amount of that certain liquid pressure force is exceeded,
the valve body member should be displaceable against the biasing
force of the spring member without further increase in pressure
in order to release a flow cross sectional area which is as
large as possible.
In Fig. 3, there is shown a schematic longitudinal sectional
view of a third embodiment of the valve assembly according to
the present invention. The only important difference as compared
to the embodiment according to Fig. 2 is that the spring member
30A biasing the first valve body member 29 which is located
closer to the inlet 22 does not rest against a fixed washer, but
against the second valve body member 31A.
- 12 21 5 231 3
While the embodiments of the valve assembly as shown in Figs.
1-3 preferably are located upstreams of the fluid treatment
apparatuses of a liquid treatment plant, the fourth embodiment
of the valve assembly according to the invention shown in Fig. 4
and further discussed herein after is suitable for being located
downstreams of the fluid treatment apparatuses of a liquid
treatment plant.
The main difference between the embodiment shown in Fig. 4
and the embodiment shown in Fig. 2 is that the three fittings
48, 49 and 50 serve as inlets, while the valve assembly is
provided with a common outlet 42. Again, the valve housing 40 is
composed of individual modules 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D and 40E. The
two valve body members 43, 45 are arranged such that they seal
the valve housing 40 in each case in the region of the collar
47; thus, two (fittings 48, 49) of the three fittings 48, 49, 50
are controllable by means of a valve body member 43 and 45,
respectively. The outlet 42 is arranged coaxially to the central
longi~udinal axis 51 of the valve assembly, while the three
inlets 48, 49 and 50 run in a direction perpendicular to the
central longitudinal axis 52 of the valve assembly. The mode of
operation of the embodiment according to Fig. 4 is essentially
the same as the one discussed in connection with the embodiments
according to Figs. 1-3; thus, it is not necessary to further
expla~n it.
It is understood that further embodiments of the valve assem-
bly a~e possible which comprise a plurality of inlets and a com-
- 13 _ 21 S 231 3
mon outlet, as shown in Fig. 4, but which are equipped with a
single valve body member according to Fig. 1 or a plurality of
valve body members according to Fig. 3.
In Fig. 5, there is shown a top sectional view of a further
embodiment of the valve assembly according to the present inven-
tion, while Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the
same embodiment. The embodiment according to Figs. 5 and 6 com-
prises a valve housing 60 having a centrally located valve cham-
ber 70, the interior thereof being provided with a
longitudinally displaceable valve body member 71. The valve
housing 60 is equipped with an inlet 61 located coaxially to the
central longitudinal axis 7S of the valve assembly, as well as
four fittings 62, 63, 64 and 65, serving as outlets, which are
arranged symmetrically around the central longitudinal axis 75.
The valve body member 71 is provided with a central bore to be
recei~ed on a guiding rod member 72. The latter one comprises a
washer 73 fixedly connected thereto, and a spring member 74 is
inserted coaxially to the guiding rod member 72, resting between
the washer 73 and the valve body member 71 to bias the valve
body member 71.
The four fittings 62, 63, 64 and 65 communicate with the
valve chamber 70 via channels 67, 68, 69 provided in the valve
housing 60. The channels 67, 68, 69 open into the valve chamber
70, whereby each opening is offset to each other in longitudinal
direction along the path of displacement of the valve body
member 71 and in circumferential direction by 90. The valve
2152313
chamber 70 is provided with a stop member 76 located between the
openings of the channels 68 and 69 assigned to the fittings 64
and 65, respectively. The stop member 76 limits the path of dis-
placement of the valve body member 71 in the direction towards
the inlet 61. It is understood that, instead of the four
fittings 62, 63, 64, 65, a different number of fittings can be
provided.
One advantage of this embodiment, as compared to the embodi-
ments according to Figs. 1-4, may be seen in the fact that the
embodiment according to Figs. 5 and 6 is very compact, particu-
larly as far as its length is concerned, particularly in the
case where four or more fittings are provided. In this
embodiment, it is equally possible to vary the distances between
adjacent openings of the channels 67, 68, 69.
In Fig. 7, there is shown a part of a liquid treatment plant,
and the basic mode of operation of the valve assembly according
to the invention shall be further described with reference to
the schematically shown plant of Fig. 7. The liquid treatment
plant essentially comprises a valve assembly 19, three fluid
treatment apparatuses 80, 81 and 82 as well as a common
collector member 83. The valve assembly used in the liquid
treat~ent plant according to Fig. 7 corresponds to the
embodiment shown in Fig. 2 and is shown in Fig. 7 in a
longitudinal sectional view, while the three liquid treatment
apparatuses 80, 81, 82 as well as the common collector 83 are
shown in a schematic side elevational view.
- 15 . 2l52313
As can be seen in Fig. 7, the three liquid treatment appara-
tuses 80, 81, 82 are arranged parallel to each other and have
different nominal capacities. Each of the inlets of the three
liquid treatment apparatuses 80, 81, 82 is connected to one of
the fittings 23, 24 and 25, respectively which serve as the
three outlets of the valve assembly 19. Particularly, the first,
not controlled outlet 23 is connected to the liquid treatment
apparatus 80 which has the lowest nominal capacity; the first,
controlled outlet 24 is connected to the liquid treatment
apparatus 81 which has an intermediate nominal capacity, and the
second, controlled outlet 25 is connected to the liquid
treatment apparatus 82 which has the highest nominal capacity.
Each of the outlets of the three liquid treatment apparatus 80,
81, 82 is connected to the common collector 83 in which the
individual liquid streams are united.
Three liquid streams, coming from a common inlet 22 and flow-
ing to different outlets 23, 24, 25, are outlined in Fig. 7 by
means of the broken lines A, B and C, respectively. The liquid
stream flowing to the not controlled outlet 23 is designated by
reference A; the liquid stream flowing to the first outlet 24
contr~lled by the valve body member 29 is designated by
reference B, and the liquid stream flowing to the second outlet
25 co~trolled by the valve body member 31 is designated by
reference C. It is understood that, instead of using liquid
treatment apparatuses having different nominal capacities, as
suggested herein before, also liquid treatment apparatuses
23077\~14P1
-- - 16 - 21 S231 3
having equal nominal capacities could be used in conjunction
with a valve assembly according to the present invention.
Such a liquid treatment plant can be used, for example, in a
home water installation, and the liquid treatment apparatuses
can be, for example, physically operating water softening
apparatuses for the reduction of the water hardness. Such a
liquid treatment plant is inserted into a home water
installation after the usually provided water filter member,
while the outlet of the collector 83 leads to the consumers of
water. In the following, the operation of the plant according to
Fig. 7 shall be further explained in connection of its use in a
home water installation.
If the consumer, which is connected to the home water instal-
lation, consumes only a small amount of water, for instance in
the case if only one or two water tap(s) is(are) open, the con-
sumed water flows through the first water softener 80 having the
lowest nominal capacity, because the first controlled outlet 24
is closed by the first valve body member 29 and the second con-
trolled output is closed by the valve body members 29 and 31.
The first water softener 80 is designed for a certain nominal
capacity and has, thereby, a well defined flow cross section.
The valve body members 29 and 31 being in their closing
position, this well defined cross section is authoritative for a
certain pressure drop between inlet and outlet of the first
water softener 80 because the entirety of the consumed water
flows through this water softener 80. Simultaneously, the pres-
_ - 17 _ ~2152313
sure drop is proportional to the pressure difference occurring
between the front side and the back side of the first valve body
member 29. Incidentally, this pressure difference also corre-
sponds to the pressure difference between the first and the sec-
ond outlet 23 and 24, respectively. As long as the force exerted
on the valve body member 29 by the pressure difference of the
water is less than the biasing force exerted by the spring
member 30 on the valve body member 29, the valve body member 29
is pressed against its associated valve seat, with the result
that the valve body member 29 blocks not only the central outlet
24, but also the rear outlet 25.
If the water consumption rises, the pressure drop in the
first water softener 80 rises as well. Since all three water
softeners 80, 81 and 82 are connected in parallel, the pressure
at the back side of the two valve body members 29 and 31, when
they are in their closed rest position, is essentially the same
as at the outlet of the first water softener 80. Thus, a
pressure difference can be observed between the front side and
the back side of the first valve body member 29 which
corresponds to the pressure drop in the first water softener 80
through which the water is flowing. Due to this pressure
difference, and if the water consumption rises, the force
exerted to the front face of the first valve body member 29
continuously increases. If a certain threshold value, set by the
biasing force of the spring member 30, is exceeded, the valve
body ~ember 29 is displaced against the biasing force exerted by
23077\~5051 4P1
~ - 18 - 2152313
the spring member 30 and the central outlet 24 is released. This
means: If a certain amount of water flowing through the first
water softener 80 per time unit and, thereby, a certain value of
the pressure drop in the first water softener 80 is reached, the
central outlet 24 is released by the valve body member 29 with
the result that the consumed water also flows through the second
water softener 81.
If the water consumption rises further, also the pressure
difference between the front side and the back side of the rear
valve body member 31 and, thereby, between the central and the
rear outlet 24 and 25, respectively, rises, with the result that
also the rear valve body member 31 is axially displaced to open
the rear outlet 25 as soon as a certain threshold level of water
consumption is exceeded; thus, the rear water softener 82 comes
into operation and the water flows also there trough. In this
mode of operation, i.e. if the water consumption is quite large,
all three water softeners 80, 81 and 82 are operating simultane-
ously. If the water consumption falls, the above described pro-
cess is reversed, i.e. initially the rear valve body member 31
and then, if appropriate, also the front valve body member 29
return to their closed rest positions to block the associated
passage in the valve chamber of the valve housing 20 and,
thereby, also the associated outlets.
A water softening assembly designed in a manner as described
above has the great advantage that the three water softeners 80,
81 and 82 always operate with a high efficiency, independently
21~2313 23077~50614P1
-- 19 --
of the water consumption. This is because the amount of water
per time unit flowing through the water softeners 80, 81 and 82
can be kept within certain limits, i.e. within limits where the
water softeners 80, 81 and 82 operate optimally with maximum
efficiency. Thereby, the nominal capacities of the water
softeners 80, 81 and 82 and the operating characteristics of the
valve body members 29, 31 can be individually adapted to the
characteristics of the entire plant and the consumers attached
thereto.
Finally, in Fig. 8, there is shown a part of another embodi-
ment of a liquid treatment plant. The valve assembly used in
the liquid treatment plant according to Fig. 8 corresponds to
the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 and is shown in Fig. 8 in a
longitudinal sectional view, while the three liquid treatment
apparatuses 80A, 81A, 82A as well as the common collector are
shown in a schematic side elevational view.
The essential difference vis-à-vis the embodiment shown in
Fig. 7 may be seen in the fact that the valve assembly is con-
nected to the outlets of the water treatment apparatuses 80A,
81A and 82A. The mode of operation of the embodiment according
to Fig. 8 is essentially the same as the one of the embodiment
shown in Fig. 7. Particularly, the first water treatment
apparatus 80A is connected to a not controlled inlet 50 of the
valve assembly, while the remaining two water treatment
apparatuses 81A and 82A each are connected to a controlled inlet
49 and 48, respectively, of the valve assembly. Whether the
215231 3 23077\8s0~14P1
- 20 -
three water treatment apparatuses 80A, 81A and 82A be connected
downstreams or upstreams to the valve assembly is hydraulically
insignificant. The only essential difference may be seen in the
fact that, in the case of downstreams connected water treatment
apparatuses 80A, 81A and 82A, the water flowing out therefrom
and having been physically treated is additionally vortexed to a
certain degree. Decisive for either an upstream or downstream
arrangement could be more likely the spatial circumstances at
the location where the plant is to be installed.
It is understood that modularly designed valve assemblies, as
have been discussed herein above in connection with Figs. 2, 3
and 4, can be provided with more than two controlled outlets or
inlets. For this purpose, it is but necessary to assemble the
desired number of modules 20B, 20C, 20D (cf. Fig. 2), to add an
inlet module and an end module, and to provide a guiding rod
member having a length corresponding to the length of the so
assembled valve assembly to keep the modules together. Of
course, prior to assembling the valve assembly, the guiding rod
member is equipped with the required amount of valve body
members and biasing spring members. It is further understood
that a valve assembly according to the embodiment of Fig. 1 can
be designed such as to comprise an arbitrary number of
controlled outlets.
A valve assembly according to the invention could moreover be
designed in such a way that it can be connected directly to the
outlet of a filter assembly which is present in home water in-
~ - 21 _ 2152313
stallations in most cases. If the valve assembly is of very com-
pact design, it could also be integrated into the housing of a
filter assembly.
As already mentioned, in many cases, it could be desirable to
use a biasing spring member having a non-linear spring
characteristic.
In the case if the valve assembly shall be designed with very
compact dimensions, e.g. to be integrated into the housing of a
filter assembly, the outlets of the valve assembly can be
located to be very close to each other; thereby, a distributor
member can be provided to enable the plurality of water
treatment apparatuses to be connected to the outlets of the
valve assembly.
While the invention has been described herein above with re-
spect to a number of particular embodiments, it is understood
that a variety of other embodiments can be realized which still
are within the scope of the appended claims.
