A CERAMIC SPINDLE FOR A FAUCET IN TEMPERATURE CONTROL

TIGE EN CERAMIQUE POUR ROBINET DE REGULATION DE LA TEMPERATURE

English Abstract

A ceramic spindle for a faucet is disclosed. The spindle has a housing of which the top portion is a protruded edge having teeth to connect with a rotating rim seat having teeth surface. The top face of the rim seat is protruded to form a positioning block and the rotating shaft is a rotating- stop mounting rim of a rotating-stop protruded block. The combination of the protruded block and the rotating rim seat, the range of rotation of the water-distribution disc is controlled. As such, the adjustable control of hot and cold water is achieved. By replacement of the rotating-stop mounting rim on by placing a plurality of the mounting rim onto the rotating shaft, the range of rotating shaft can be changed and thus the ceramic spindle can be easily changed and the pattern of water control can be obtained.

French Abstract

Il s'agit d'une tige de céramique pour robinet. La tige comprend un boîtier dont la partie supérieure est une bordure en saillie dotée de dents qui se raccordent à un siège de rebord rotatif ayant une surface à dents. La face supérieure du siège de rebord fait saillie pour former un bloc de positionnement et l'arbre tournant est une butée rotative de rebord de montage d'un bloc de butée rotative en saillie. La combinaison du bloc en saillie et du siège de rebord rotatif, la plage de rotation du disque de distribution d'eau est contrôlée. Ainsi, la commande réglable de l'eau chaude et froide est réalisée. Par le remplacement de la butée rotative de rebord de montage en plaçant une pluralité du rebord de montage sur l'arbre tournant, la plage de l'arbre tournant peut être changée et, par conséquent, la tige de céramique peut être changée facilement et le modèle de commande d'eau peut être obtenu.

Claims

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What is claimed is:
1. A spindle structure for a faucet comprising:
a housing having a top, said top being provided with a rim side
having teeth;
a rim seat defined over said rim side of said housing, said rim seat
having teeth engaged with the teeth of said housing, said rim seat having an
upwardly extending protruded positioning block;
a first stop rim having teeth and a shaft hole, said first stop rim having
a side provided with a protruded block, said first stop rim being mounted on
a protruded edge of said housing;
a rotating shaft module having a driving plate and a rotating shaft,
said rotating shaft having a lower end inserted into a center hole of said
driving plate and an upper end extending upwardly through a center hole of
said housing and the shaft hole of said stop rim, said driving plate having a
bottom provided with a plurality of engaging protruded blocks;
a water distribution disc having a plurality of engaging slots adapted
to receive said engaging protruded blocks, said water distribution disc
having a bottom formed with a slot;
a water guiding disc positioned beneath said water distribution disc
and having two first water inlet holes and a first water outlet hole; and
a cap having two second water inlet holes and a second water outlet
bole in communication with said first water inlet holes and said first water
outlet hole.

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2. The spindle structure for a faucet as claimed in claim 1, further
comprising a second stop rim arranged on said first stop rim.
3. The spindle structure for a faucet as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein
said first stop rim is interchangeable.

Description

CA 02437444 2003-08-08
TITLE: A CERAMIC SPINDLE FOR A FAUCET IN TEMPERATURE
CONTROL
BACKGROUND OF TBE INVENTION
(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ceramic spindle for a faucet, and in
particular, the spindle used in temperature control mechanism to control water
flow into cold/hot water tube in a certain proporti.on to provide the required
water temperature. The water after mixed is flowing out through the tube 5
and the water flow rate control mechanism 3 to the shower head.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 2 is a conventional spindle body 1 including a housing 10, a rotating
shaft module 20, a water-distribution disc 30, a water guiding disc 40 and a
cap 50. The bottom section of the housing 10 is opened and the top section
is a protruded edge having a shaft hole. The two lateral sides at the inner
surface of the housing is provided with a protruded block 101.
The rotating module 20 is mounted within the riousing 10 wherein the
rotating shaft 21 at the top section passes through the top portion of the
housing. The two sides of the driven plate 22 at the bottom section are
provided with rotating-stop protruded block 222 and the bottom face is
mounted with a plurality of the engaging protruded block 221. The top face

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2
of the water-distribution disc 30 is provided with corresponding slot 30 which
is engageable with the protruded block 221 such that the water-distribution
disc 30 is driven to rotate by the driving plate 22. The botl:om face of the
water-distribution disc 30 is provided with a water-distribution slot 302 so
that
it urges the top face of the water-guiding plate 40. 1-he water-guiding plate
40 urges the top face of the cap 50 and the similar position of the
water-guiding plate 40 and the cap 50 are provided with two inlets 401, 402
and 501, 502 and a water outlet 403, 503. The body of these components
after combined is installed within a temperature-control mechanism 2, as
shown in FIG. 1. The operation of the combination is as follows. Cold and
hot water via the cold and hot water tube are respectively guided via the
inlets
501, 502 of the cap 50, and via the irlets 401, 402 of the water-guiding disc
40
into the water-distribution slot 302 of the water-distrilbution disc 30. The
cold and hot water are mixed at the water-distributiori slot 302 and is then
guided via the water outlet 401 of the water-guiding drsc 40 and the water
outlet 503 of the cap 50 to the water outlet tube. The temperature control of
the water is by using the water-distribution slot 301 of the water
distribution
disc 30, and the water inlet hole and the surface of the water outlet. The
conventional spindle employs the protraded block 222 of the driving plate 22
and the protruded block 101 of the housing to achieve the linniting of the

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3
rotational of the adjusting button but the engaging components of the ceramic
spindle is mounted within the internal of the spindle. The limitation of left
and nght rotation is a single configuration and cannot be adjusted.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a ceramic
spindle for a faucet, which overcomes the above dra.wback.

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4
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of an aspect of the present invention to
provide a spindle structure for a faucet comprising:
a housing having a top, said top being provided with a rim side
having teeth;
a rim seat defined over said rim side of said housing, said rim seat
having teeth engaged with the teeth of said housing, said rim seat having an
upwardly extending protruded positioning block;
a first stop rim having teeth and a shaft hole, said first stop rim having
a side provided with a protruded block, said first stop rim being mounted on
a protruded edge of said housing;
a rotating shaft module having a driving plate and a rotating shaft,
said rotating shaft having a lower end inserted into a center hole of said
driving plate and an upper end extending upwardly through a center hole of
said housing and the shaft hole of said stop rim, said driving plate having a
bottom provided with a plurality of engaging protruded blocks;

CA 02437444 2007-01-22
4a
a water distribution disc having a plurality of engaging slots adapted
to receive said engaging protruded blocks, said water distribution disc
having a bottom formed with a slot;
a water guiding disc positioned beneath said water distribution disc
and having two first water inlet holes and a first water outlet hole; and
a cap having two second water inlet holes and a second water outlet
bole in communication with said first water inlet holes and said first water
outlet hole.
The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction
to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the
present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become
apparent to those of skilled in the art, the following detailed description of
the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings
identical reference numerals refer

CA 02437444 2003-08-08
to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become
manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed
description and the accompanying sheets of dra.wing;s in which a preferred
5 structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention
is
shown by way of illustrative example.

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6
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a ceramic spindle for a faucet in accordance
with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional spindle used in
a faucet.
FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the cerarnic spindle for a faucet
in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the ceramic spindle for a faucet of the
present invention.
FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate configurations of a water-distribution disc in
accordance with the present invention.

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7
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are
not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the
invention
in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient
illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention.
Uarious changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function
and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope
of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown a ceramic spindle for a faucet
comprising a housing 10, a rotating shaft module 20, a water-distribution disc
30, a water-guiding disc 40 and a cap 50 combined to form the body 1. The
top section of the housing 10 is a rim seat 60 mounted with a rotating-stop
mounting rim 70. The bottom section of the housing 10 is opened, the top
portion of the housing is provided with a rim side having teeth 111 and the
center thereof is a protruded edge 11 with a shaft hole. The rotating shaft
module 20 includes a rotating shaf121 fastened to the protruded edge at the
center of the top portion of the driving plate 22, which is directly inserted
into
the housing 10 so that the protruded edge of the driving plate 22 is
positioned
at the shaft hole of the housing 10, and the rotating shaft 21 passes through
the
shaft hole to connect with other component. The bottom face of the driving

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8
plate 22 is provided with a plurality of engaging protruded block 221. The
top face of the water-distribution plate 30 is provided with corresponding
engaging slot 301 so that when the top face of the water-distribution disc 30
and the bottom face of the driving plate 22 approach to each other, the
protruded block 221 will be engaged with the engaging slot 301 and the
water-distribution disc 30 will be rotated with the driving plate 22. The
bottom face of the water-distribution slot 30 is a butter-fly shape water
distribution slot 302 to urge at the top face of the water-guiding disc 40.
The
corresponding positions of the water-guiding disc 40 and the
water-distribution slot 302 are provided with two water inlet holes 401, 402
and a water outlet hole 403. The cap 50, close to the bottom section of the
water-guiding disc 40 covers the opening at the bottom section of the housing
10. The disc face is provided with water inlet holes 501, 502 and water
outlet hole 503 corresponding to that of the water-guiding disc such that when
it is positioned into the rotating button mechanism, the water-inlet holes
501,
502 are respectively in communication with the cold and hot water tube, and
the water outlet hole 503 is in comznunication with the water outlet tube. In
accordance with the present invention, the protruded edge 11 at the rim edge
having teeth 111 at the top portion of the housing 10 is mounted with a
rotating rim seat 60 and a rotating-stop mounting rim 70. As shown in FIG.

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3, the rotating rim seat 60 is provided with a mounting hole 601 and teeth 602
are provided at the intemal rim face of the mounting hole which are
corresponding to the protruded edge of the housing such that when the two
components can be engageable mounted. The teeth 111 602 are respectively
provided with a positioning section 112 and 603 such that the rinl seat 60 and
the protruded edge 11 can be engaged together and provide a specific
connecting position. The top end, at one side of the rim seat 60 is upwardly
extended to form a protruded positioning block 604. A rotating-stop
mounting rim 70 with a shaft hole 701 is mounted onto the rotating shaft 21 so
that it can be driven to rotate. The edge face of the rim is formed into teeth
face which is a gear structure. One side of the rim edge is a protruded
rotating-stop protruded block 702. By rotating of the rotating shaft 21 and
the urging of the positioning block 604 and the protruded block 702, the
rotating shaft 21 can be stopped so as to control the lefl-and-right rotating
range of the rotating shaft 21 which drives the water-distribution disc 40 to
control the temperature of the water. Further, the rim seat 60 and the
rotating
stop mounting rim 70 are mounted at the exterior of the body, a plurality of
rotating-stop mounting rim can be mounted or the rotating-stop rim with
various of sizes of the protruded block can be mounted onto the rim seat 60,
the limit of the rotating of the rotating shaft 21 can be easily changed so
that

CA 02437444 2003-08-08
the cold and hot water inlet hole and outlet hole can be changed and the
ceramic spindle can be used or installed onto all kinds of faucets.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or
more together may also find a useful application in other types ofinethods
5 differing from the type described above.
While certain novel features of tlhis invention have been shown and
described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be
limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various
omissions,
modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the
device
10 illustrated and in its operation can be made by those sldlled in the art
without
departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Representative Drawing