Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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"HOT AND COLD WATER MIXER TAP WITH
THERMOSTATIC UNIT AND FLOW DIVERTER UNIT"
Field of Invention
The present invention concerns the bathroom finishing, both for external and
recessed installations, for bath tubs, showers and the like, and refer in
particular to
a hot and cold mixer tap, housing a thermostatic unit for regulating the
temperature
of the water delivered and means for selectively diverting the water flow
towards at
least two different outlets.
State of the Art
In the field of bathroom finishing hot and cold water mixer valves are known
which incorporate a cartridge system and consequently mixer taps housing these
mixer valves are already known. The latter usually have two separate hot or
cold
water entrances and a single water exit towards the outlet.
Also well known are the thermostatic mixer taps, that is to say equipped with
a thermostatic system which enables the water temperature in output to be set
and
then automatically regulated, by adjusting the ratio of cold water to hot
water to be
mixed.
In tap fittings for bath tubs and showers flow diverter systems towards at
least two different outlets are also used. These diverter systems however
usually
form a unit of their own, associated but not integrated with the valve
fittings andlor
thermostatic control of the mixing and temperature of the water.
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Objects and Summary of the Invention
One object of the present invention is to provide a thermostatic, mixer tap
also incorporating a flow diverter unit for selective feed of at least two
different
outlets.
Another object of the invention is to supply a cold and hot water mixer tap
incorporating an integrated thermostatic unit and a flow diverter system in a
group
configured like a cartridge and therefore easy to manipulate, easy to place in
position in the body of a tap and easy to remove and to maintain.
A further object of the invention is to achieve a thermostatic mixer tap,
complete with a flow diverter system with two aligned and easy to access
control
means, one for the thermostatic unit and the other for opening/closing the
water
and the flow diverter system, and where a part of the thermostatic unit is
used as a
means for operating the flow diverter.
These objects and implicit advantages which derive from them are reached,
in compliance with the present invention, with a thermostatic tap according to
at
least claim 1.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The invention will be described more in detail following the present
specification made in reference to the enclosed indicative and not limiting
drawings,
in which:
Fig. 1 is an exploded view and cross-section of the components in the
cartridge group made up of the thermostatic mixer unit and flow diverter unit;
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Figs, 2 and 3 are two external views from opposite sides of the assembled
cartridge group;
Fig. 4 is the cartridge group seen from below;
Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the group in Fig. 2 and 3 inserted in a bath tub
group;
Figs. 6 and 7 are a view from the side and overhead of the bath tub group in
Fig. 5;
Fig. 8 is a cartridge group to form part of a tap for a shower;
Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the group in Fig. 8 inserted into the said tap:
and
0 Fig. 10 is a recessed tap housing a cartridge group according to the
invention.
Detailed description of the Invention
As illustrated in Figs. 1-5, the tap comprises a body 11 having a housing 12
in which there is assembled and axially blocked by a ring nut 13, with an
interposed anti-friction ring 13', a group configured as a cartridge made up
of a
thermostatic unit 14 and a flow diverter unit 15.
The tap body 11 has an entrance for hot water 16, an entrance for cold
water 17, each with a one way valve, a first exit 18 to an outlet, such as the
bath
tub, and a second exit 19 towards another outlet, such as a shower.
2o The cartridge group includes a cartridge body 20, substantially cylindrical
and hollow, equipped with outer seals 21 at different levels, closed at the
bottom by
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a base 22 and supporting at the top a coupling 23, screwed to it with a seal
23'
inserted between them.
On the side wall of the cartridge body 20, which can be turned in its housing
12, there is a first water inlet 24 and a second water inlet 25, at two
different
heights, in zones between the outer seals 21. The first inlet 24 is in fluid
communication with the hot water entrance 16; the second inlet 25 is in fluid
communication with the cold water entrance 17 of the tap body 11. The first
and
second inlets 24, 25 are enclosed by filters 24', 25' and lead into a mixing
chamber
26 inside the cartridge body 20.
1o The base 22 has at least one reference pin 22' for positioning the
cartridge
group in the tap body 11 and to prevent the bottom of the same from turning.
The
bottom has two holes 22" each of which receives a pin 27, 27' with an
elastomeric
material ring 28 positioned between them. Said pins, preferably ceramic,
enclose
two ports 29, 29' coinciding with the water exits 18, 19, each feeding its
respective
output.
A distributor plate 30 resting hard against a seal 30' and turning on the pins
27, 27' is positioned in the cartridge body 20. This plate 30, preferably
ceramic, has
a hole or out of centre opening 31 running width wise through it, positioning
itself in
line with each of the output ports 29, 29' following rotation of the plate
itself.
2o The rotation of the distributor plate 30 is enabled by its tooth 20'
engaging
the cartridge body 20, and the cartridge body is turned by a handle or lever
32 fixed
to the sleeve 23 and connected to a ring 33 to a position index indicating the
closed
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position of the tap. The handle or lever 32 can be marked with references or
icons
to show which port 29,29' and therefore which output is being supplied by
opening
the tap. Rotation of the cartridge body 20, and therefore lining up of the
hole or
opening 31 to be in line with one or the other output port, is limited by a
stop dowel
20a fixed to the body and moving in a slot 22a cut in the base 22.
Inside the cartridge body 20, that is in the mixing chamber 26, opposite the
two hot and cold water inlets 24 and 25 and moving axially to the latter,
there is a
control piston 34 to control the delivery of the two types of water in input.
The
control piston 34 is connected and moves, as is known, by means of a heat
1o sensitive bulb placed in the centre of the mixing chamber 26 so as to
change the
ratio of hot and cold water to be mixed and to maintain the temperature of the
water
delivered constant. The water entering the mixing chamber 26 flows from the
latter
to the distributor plate 30 to exit towards a user depending on which hole or
opening 31 of the plate is in line with one or the other of the two exit ports
29,29'.
The heat sensitive bulb 35 is connected by means of springs 36, 37. One
end being connected to the cartridge body 20 and the other to a turning
regulating
rod 38 by means of a cap 39 and a slider 40. This slider 40 is guided in the
sleeve
23 and in 38' screwed to the rod 38 which is itself attached to a control knob
41, by
turning which it is possible to position the heat sensitive bulb 35, and by
means of
2o the latter the control piston 34 of the delivery of the two types of water
entering, so
as to set or change the temperature of the water being delivered to the
outputs. The
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temperature selected may be set by blocking the position of the control knob
by
means of a pushbutton 42 with connected spring 42' and pin 42".
In this way, once the temperature of the water has been selected, simply turn
the handle or lever 32, starting from the closed position, to send the water
either to
one or the other of the provided outlets.
Furthermore, by introducing an insert 43 into the slot 22a, so as to partially
fill it, it will be possible to limit the rotation of the cartridge body and
consequently
the distributor plate 30 so as to deliver to one output only, excluding the
other.
The group made up of a thermostatic unit and a pre-assembled flow diverter
1o unit in the form of a cartridge may be used both in bath tub groups and as
taps for
shower cubicles, both as external or recessed fixtures.
Figs. 5-7 show an application for a bath tub group to deliver water to the tub
and to the shower.
Figs 8 and 9 are a cartridge group 44 for shower tap and a tap 45 housing
this group, where the same or similar components as those described above are
indicated with the same reference numbers.
Finally, in Fig. 10 we have a recessed tap 45 housing a cartridge group,
which includes a thermostatic unit 14 with relative control knob 41 and a
diverter 15
with respective control handle or lever 32, and where the cartridge group is
2o enclosed in a container 46 to adapt to the size of the group so as to
enable this to
be used instead of mixer valves which have standard sizes.
