WO2003067133A1

WO2003067133A1 - A sanitary fitting, e.g. a thermostatic mixer and a flow-regulating device for such a fitting

Info

Publication number: WO2003067133A1
Application number: PCT/SE2002/002302
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stefan Ericsson
Original assignee: FM Mattsson AB
Current assignee: FM Mattsson AB
Priority date: 2001-12-14
Filing date: 2002-12-12
Publication date: 2003-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 2004-06-14
Also published as: AU2002358376A1; SE0104207D0; SE524057C2; SE0104207L

Abstract

A sanitary fitting, for example a thermostatic mixer (1), is provided with a temperature-regulating device with a control knob (5) and an opening, provided with a standard thread generally accepted for sanitary fittings, for a flow regulating device. Screwed into this opening is, instead of a manually actuatable control knob with a valve body, a flow regulating device (10) adapted to regulate automatically the flow dispensed from the mixer, for example according to a predetermined program. The unit has or interacts with a means (12, 16, 16a) by which the automatic operation is initiated. It also accommodates a power source (11) for the automatic operation or can be connected to such a power source. The object for protection is also a flow-regulating device for interchangeable connection to a sanitary fitting.

Description

A sanitary fitting, e.g. a thermostatic mixer and a flow-regulating device for such a fitting

Field of the invention

This invention relates to sanitary fittings, more specifically of the type indicated in the preamble of claim 1.

The invention also relates to a flow-regulating device for such a sanitary fitting.

State of the art Many different types of sanitary fitting with associated flow-regulating means are known. In order to satisfy the different tastes of consumers, such sanitary fittings are manufactured with a great many different outer designs of both mixer housing and temperature and flow-regulating means. It is nevertheless a common feature of the great majority of sanitary fittings manufactured now and in the past that they are manufactured according to regional standards generally accepted for sanitary fittings as far as connection and interconnection dimensions are concerned. Thus, for example, the European Standardization Committee (CEN) issued a standard, EN 200:1989 "Sanitary tapware - General technical specification for single taps and mixer taps" , for the European market. This standard prescribes inter alia which thread dimensions should be used for interconnecting flow-regulating means and mixer housing. According to said standard, such interconnection is to be designed with G W thread. In Sweden, in addition to the European standard, a domestic practice also exists, which dates back to a previously valid Swedish standard and still applies as a generally accepted standard in Sweden. In accordance with this practice, the interconnection between flow- regulating means and mixer housing is designed with M 20x1.5 thread.

DE 28 47 751 describes a sanitary fitting with automatic flow regulation. The sanitary fitting has a mixer housing with a mixing chamber and a mixer valve. A mechanical timed flow-regulating device interacts with the mixer valve in order to shut off the flow from the fitting a certain time after initiation. This fitting involves new design of at least both the mixer valve and the flow-regulating device, where inter alia the valve body of the mixer valve is specially constructed so as to interact with the flow-regulating device. It is therefore not possible to install the automatic flow-regulating device on existing sanitary fittings by simply exchanging an existing flow- regulating device for the automatic one described in the document. This of course results in disadvantages if it is desired to bring about automatic flow regulation on an existing sanitary fitting with manual flow regulation, because it is then necessary to exchange not only the flow-regulating device but also, moreover, large parts of or the entire sanitary fitting.

Sanitary fittings with electronic flow regulation are also known. US,A, 4 965 894 (Baus) represents an example of this type. This document describes a mixer device for shower and bath, which has an electronic regulating unit and a feed unit for actuating a storage unit. The electronic regulating unit is located on a shower handset with an associated flexible hose, which is connected to the feed unit. The device is complicated because it requires new design of a number of units belonging to the installation with an intricate line and pipe system between these .

WO,Al, 00/32314 (The Unique Company) describes a shower handset provided with an electronic regulating unit. Push buttons on the shower handset send pulses to a microprocessor located in an associated mixer, in which way the mixing procedure and the flow dispensed are regulated. This case also involves new design of the entire mixer and flow-regulating unit.

A similar system where it is not the shower handset which is of fundamental importance for the electronic control but where the control unit itself is connected to a computer is described in DE,A1, 4 234 917 (Mikrosystem GmbH) . Fundamental development of a number of essential components is a necessary prerequisite of this control arrangement as well, in order that the desired programmable control of a shower be brought abou .

FR,A1,2 661 971 (Balabeau) describes another similar fundamental arrangement for regulating the water supply to a number of different water-consuming units in a house or apartment.

US 6,016,836 describes a programmable flow-regulating device for showers. The device constitutes a separate unit, which is designed and constructed in order to be connected between a shower mixer and a shower handset.

While it is true that this device does not require exchange or new design of the shower mixer, it has the disadvantage instead of not constituting an integrated part of the mixer. As a result, the device requires no little extra space in the shower space as well as separate attachment to the shower wall, the shower rod or the like. The separate unit furthermore results in hygienic and aesthetic disadvantages because it constitutes another component which has to be kept clean and has to be located in a bathroom environment which it is often desirable to keep as free from components as possible. Another disadvantage is that the separate unit cannot easily be designed so that it matches a large number of different design ranges of shower mixers and other sanitary fittings.

The object of the invention The invention starts out from the realization that previously known units for electronic control of a sanitary fitting provided with a mixer are unnecessarily complicated. A main object of the invention is therefore to make it possible to use a considerable part of a previously known sanitary fitting in order without major modifications thereof to ensure electronic control of important components belonging to the fitting after simple exchange of only one or a few part(s) of the fitting.

Another object is to produce a sanitary fitting in which added elements for electronic control can in a natural way harmonize with the original design of the fitting and constitute an integrated part of the fitting.

Another object is to produce a sanitary fitting where it is possible in a simple way to remove previously existing flow-regulating means and replace these with electronically controlled components, which are integrated in a simple way into the thus updated fitting.

A further object is to produce a programmable flow- regulating device for a sanitary fitting for simple integration into said fitting.

Brief description of the invention

These and other objects are achieved by a sanitary fitting according to the invention, which is of the type indicated above, and has the features indicated in the characterizing part of claim 1. A sanitary fitting according to the invention provided with an interchangeable flow-regulating device, received in a standard thread generally accepted for sanitary fittings, with automatic control of the flow dispensed makes the production of sanitary fittings considerably easier because the added unit fits a whole range of mechanical mixers.

The initial cost of the fitting is also considerably lower than in the case of previously known fittings with electronic control because the existing mixer housing with associated standard thread can be used. It is therefore necessary only for the manually actuatable low-regulating device to be removed and for the added unit to be screwed into place in the standard thread, the unit being integrated into the fitting.

Even in sanitary fittings, which are manufactured according to a generally accepted standard, the seat depth, that is to say the spacing between the opening provided with a standard thread and the seat, of the mixer housing can vary. The flow-regulating device is therefore suitably provided with an adjustable connection element so that the flow-regulating device can be used in and moved between mixer housings with different seat depths.

The flow-regulating device can be designed so that regulation of the flow leaving the mixer housing takes place in either the flow-regulating device or the mixer housing.

The means which initiates the automatic operation of the flow-regulating device can be of various types. Use can be made of, for example, a sensor, which senses a changed state in the environment, such as a type of movement sensor, which senses that a hand is approaching the fitting. Alternatively, various types of temperature-sensing means can be used. The means can also consist of an element of push-button type or a series of different push buttons, by means of which alternative operating sequences and/or procedures of different duration can be initiated.

In practice, it is preferred that the flow-regulating device accommodates a power source in order to provide energy for the automatic regulating operation and/or a connection means for such power source. In this way, maximum simplicity is achieved in the adaptation of the flow-regulating device to different types of sanitary fitting.

Although the flow-regulating device can work in different ways, for example optically, it is preferred that its automatic regulation of the flow dispensed is effected electronically.

For the purpose, the flow-regulating device is suitably programmable for the setting of different regulating programs .

As indicated above, the flow-regulating device is preferably provided with a sensor adapted to sense a deviation from a normal state so as thus to initiate its automatic regulating function.

The sensor is suitably adjustable for simple adaptation to different types of sanitary fitting.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to a flow-regulating device for a sanitary fitting, for example a thermostatic mixer, the essential features of which are indicated in independent patent claim 12.

Some examples of the invention will be described in greater detail below with reference to accompanying drawings . Brief description of the drawing figures Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a sanitary fitting in the form of a pressure-balanced thermostatic mixer with features according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view which shows one end of a thermostatic mixer according to Fig. 1 and three flow-regulating units which are alternatively connectable to this end, namely - from left to right - a programmable flow-regulating unit according to the invention and an example of an additional part for this, a conventional flow-regulating unit according to the state of the art with a manually rotatable control knob for actuating a valve body with an associated valve cone which can be applied against a seat in the mixer housing, and finally a flow-regulating unit corresponding to this, the component regulating parts of which are made of ceramic material, also according to the state of the art .

Figs 3-7 constitute examples of different types of sanitary fitting provided with a programmable, interchangeable regulating unit according to the invention, while other component parts are of standard design,

Fig. 3 being a perspective view of a bathtub mixer,

Fig. 4 being a perspective view of a washbasin mixer,

Fig. 5 being a side view of a sink mixer, occasionally also referred to as a swivel valve,

Fig. 6 being a front view of a pressure-balanced thermostatic mixer (sometimes also called a safety mixer) , and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of what is known as a shower panel or universal mixer. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a sanitary fitting according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a partial section of the sanitary fitting shown in Fig . 8.

Description of preferred embodiments

The pressure-balanced thermostatic mixer 1 shown in Fig. 1 is provided with a mixer housing 2 to which hot and cold water is supplied via inlet lines 3 and 4. Present at the two ends of the housing are openings provided with a standard thread, one of which, designated by 7, is indicated in Fig. 2.

Screwed into the opposite opening is an insert, which has a control knob 5 for temperature regulation and can also receive a regulating unit for pressure balancing between hot and cold water flows supplied.

The mixer housing also has threaded connections for the inlet pipes 3 and 4 for hot and, respectively, cold water, to which openings non-return valves (not shown) are connected.

The inlet openings each communicate with an inlet chamber for hot and, respectively, cold water, which inlet chambers are delimited from one another by means of an intermediate partition.

The mixer housing accommodates another partition, which delimits the inlet chamber for hot water from a mixing chamber located on the other side of the partition.

Also present in the mixer housing is another partition 19 (see Fig. 9) which has an opening with a seat 17 for an outlet valve cone. This partition delimits the mixing chamber 20 from the outlet chamber 21, which communicates with an outlet opening belonging to the mixer housing with a threaded connection to which the outlet pipe 6 is connected.

As mentioned above, the opening 7 of the mixer housing 2 located on the left in Figs 1 and 2 is provided with a thread of a standard type generally accepted for sanitary fittings, preferably a G " or M 20x1.5 thread, for an interchangeable flow-regulating device with an element for bearing against a seat in the mixer housing.

Fig. 2 shows two examples, designated generally by 10' and 10'', of two such flow-regulating elements according to the state of the art .

That designated by 10' is of general conventional type and comprises a control knob 10 'a, a valve body 10 'b which can be displaced axially when the knob is rotated, and a valve cone 10 'c which has a projecting spindle which extends into a hole in the valve body.

The valve body 10 'b has a standard external thread, which fits the standard internal thread in the opening in the mixer housing 2. When the control knob is rotated in one direction, the valve cone 10 'c is thus forced against the seat in the mixer housing, while rotation in the opposite direction causes the valve cone to leave the seat, in which way the flow dispensed from the mixer can be regulated.

In Fig. 2, 10'' designates a corresponding flow- regulating device, which can alternatively be screwed into the standard thread in the mixer housing and has ceramic components for use in cases where such components are preferred. In other respects, the construction of the ceramic flow-regulating device corresponds to that described previously.

Fig. 2 also shows a flo -regulating device according to the present invention, which is generally designated by number 10 and is adapted to regulate automatically the flow dispensed from the mixer. In the embodiment shown, the valve body bringing about an axial movement, for example a solenoid valve, is integrated in the flow- regulating unit. A projecting pin part lOd provided with a standard thread can be seen in the figure. Projecting from the pin part is a connection element lOe which has an inlet lOg from the mixer housing to the flow-regulating device and is suitably provided with a sealing means for bearing against the seat 17 in the mixer housing. Said pin part lOd also has an outlet lOf from the flow-regulating device 10 to the mixer housing 2.

For the automatic regulation of the flow dispensed, the flow-regul ting unit 10 can be provided with a regulating body with a presettable movement pattern, which can be electronically programmable.

In order to provide energy for the automatic movement, the flow-regulating unit 10 can be provided with a power source in the form of an electric battery, which is indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2 and designated by number 11. Alternatively, the flow-regulating unit can be provided with connection means for a power source located elsewhere.

The flow-regulating unit is also provided with means for initiating the automatic regulating procedure, which, in the embodiment shown, consist of a number of push buttons designated by number 12. By pressing-in one such button, a regulating program, for example a shower program, can thus be initiated, a predetermined flow being dispensed from the mixer for a given number of minutes or seconds, after which automatic shut-off takes place. When another push button is pressed in, another predetermined shower program is initiated. Many other types of initiating means can also be used. Fig. 2 therefore shows an annular additional part 15 for the regulating unit, which is provided with a central opening so that it can be mounted on the regulating unit and form an integrated part of it. The additional part 15 is shown in the mounted position in, for example, Fig. 1.

The additional part 15 has a projecting sensor element which can be adapted to sense a deviation from a normal state so as in this way to initiate the automatic functioning of the flow-regulating device 10.

The sensor element can sense, for example, a movement, for example a hand approaching the mixer, and then provide a pulse for initiating the flow-regulating procedure. Alternatively, the sensor can sense, for example, a temperature change or another deviation from a normal state .

In order to make possible adaptation to different types of sanitary fitting, the lower part 16a of the sensor 16 provided with an "eye" can be adjustable. If appropriate, the sensor can interact with push buttons 12 located on the flow-regulating unit 10, that is to say so that one of these is actuated when the sensor senses a deviation from the normal state.

The programmable part of the flow-regulating device and/or the sensor can also interact with various types of timer which determine the length or the switch-on time for the intended regulating procedure.

Figs 3-7 show examples of some different types of sanitary fitting where a flow-regulating device according to the invention can find application.

In the case of the bathtub mixer shown in Fig. 3, the mixer housing is accommodated in an outer casing, from which the temperature-regulating knob 5 and the flow- regulating unit 10 project at right angles in relation to the sanitary fitting shown in Figs 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 shows a washbasin mixer where the mixer housing 2 has the same general extent and the temperature- regulating knob 5 and the flow-regulating unit 10 the same general position as in the embodiment according to Fig. 1. In this embodiment, however, the mixer housing 2 has a centrally arranged delivery part 6' for mixed water .

In this embodiment also, the unit 10 is provided with an additional part 15, which corresponds to that shown in the exploded view in Fig. 2. Here, the sensor element 16 with the eye 16a is set at an angle in order better to sense, for example, when a hand approaches the sanitary fitting.

Fig. 5 shows a sink mixer or swivel valve with a swiveling outlet pipe 6' for mixed water. Here, the regulating unit 10 projects at a 45° angle to the horizontal plane and replaces a normally used actuator valve for mixed water. In this embodiment also, the unit 10 is provided with an additional part 15, the sensor of which, however, is positioned in such a way that it is not visible in the figure.

Fig. 6 shows a pressure-balanced thermostatic mixer of the same general type as that shown in Fig. 1. This mixer can be used as, for example, a shower mixer, for which purpose the outlet line 6 for mixed water is directed upward.

Fig. 7 shows what is known as a shower panel with a built-in pressure-balanced thermostatic mixer with temperature regulation limited to a maximum of 38°C or another desired maximum temperature. Here, the temperature-regulating valve 5' is arranged directly below the flow-regulating unit 10, and their mutually parallel axes extend at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the shower panel. Such a panel is normally made of stainless steel and can be provided with ball valves in the inlets and also a soap shelf (not shown) .

Fig. 8 shows a pressure-balanced thermostatic mixer of the same general type as is shown in Fig. 1. This mixer can be used as, for example, a combined bathtub and shower mixer and is for this purpose provided with a horizontal outlet pipe 6' . The outlet pipe has a bathtub outlet opening 6' a and a shower outlet opening 6'b, to which a shower hose 6'c is connected, and an actuator 6'd for alternately guiding the outlet flow to the bathtub outlet or the shower outlet .

The section in Figure 9 shows the seat 17 of the mixer housing 2 and how the connection element lOe of the flow-regulating device 10 interacts therewith. The seat

17 surrounds a flow opening in a partition 19, which delimits the mixing chamber 20 from the outlet chamber 21. In the embodiment shown, the connection element lOe is firmly connected to the pin part lOd, the two elements being designed in one piece. The pin part lOd has an external G }_" thread and is received via this thread in an internal G W thread of the opening 7. In the embodiment shown, the opening 7 consists of an outer opening 7a of greater diameter and an inner opening 7b of smaller diameter. The internal thread is designed in the outer opening 7a. It will nevertheless be understood that the internal thread of a standard type generally accepted for sanitary fittings can also be arranged on other parts or in proximity to the opening 7 so as to form a standard connection for flow- regulating devices.

The flow-regulating device 10 also accommodates a solenoid valve 18 which is arranged so as to regulate the flow from the inlet lOg of the flow-regulating device to its outlet lOg and thus to the outlet pipe 6' of the sanitary fitting.

In the embodiment described above, the connection element lOe and the pin part lOd are designed in one piece. In order to allow the flow-regulating device 10 to be used in mixer housings with different seat depth, the connection element lOd can be arranged adjustably. This can be brought about by, for example, the connection element being attached axially displaceably to the pin part . The connection element can then consist of a cylindrical tube, which can be inserted into a corresponding cylindrical opening in the pin part and is provided with an external thread, which receives a locking nut, which interacts with the cylindrical tube and that end surface of the pin part facing the seat. By means of the locking nut, it is then possible to regulate how far that end of the cylindrical tube facing the seat is to project from the pin part . The spacing between the pin part and that end of the connection element, which is intended to bear against the seat, can in this way be adjusted for different seat depths of the mixer housing.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 9, the flow regulation takes place inside the flow-regulating device 10. In accordance with an alternative embodiment (not shown) , the inlet and outlet of the flow-regulating device can be replaced by a movable valve means, which is arranged so as to interact with the seat in order to regulate the flow from the mixing chamber 20 to the outlet chamber 21 and thus the flow leaving the mixer housing. The movement of this movable valve means is controlled by a linear motor or another movement-generating means, which is accommodated in the flow-regulating device and replaces the solenoid valve in the embodiment described above . From the above, it can be seen that a flow-regulating device for a sanitary fitting according to the invention comprises a connection element for application against a seat in a mixer housing 2 belonging to the fitting and also that it accommodates a means for automatic driving of a valve element according to a presettable program and a part, provided with a pin, with a standard external thread for screwing into an internal thread of a standard type accepted for sanitary fittings in the mixer housing 2.

The flow-regulating device is also provided with or can be connected to a power source for the automatic regulating procedure and it has a preferably adjustable means, for example a sensor, for initiating the programmable flow-regulating movement of the valve element .

As such a flow-regulating device can be connected to a thread of a standard type generally accepted for sanitary fittings in an existing sanitary fitting, it will be understood that the invention affords a simple opportunity for providing any sanitary fitting with automatic, programmable flow regulation, it being possible for the main parts of the sanitary fitting to remain unchanged, in addition to which any mass- produced flow-regulating unit which works according to a predetermined program can in a simple way be screwed onto the standard thread the sanitary fitting has.

Claims

Patent Claims

1. A sanitary fitting, for example a thermostatic mixer, shower panel or the like, comprising a mixer housing (2) with a) connections for hot and cold water, b) a temperature-regulating device (5) , c) an outlet (6) for mixed water, d) an opening (7, 7a, 7b) , provided with a standard thread generally accepted for sanitary fittings, for an interchangeable flow- regulating device (10', 10'') with an element for bearing against a seat in the mixer housing (2), characterized by an interchangeable flow-regulating device (10) which is received in the standard thread of the opening (7, 7a, 7b) and adapted to regulate automatically the flow dispensed from the mixer and which has or interacts with a means (12, 16, 16a) by which the automatic operation is initiated.

2. The sanitary fitting as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the flow-regulating device (10) has a connection element (lOe) for bearing against the seat in the mixer housing (2) .

3. The sanitary fitting as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the connection element (lOe) is adjustable so as to interact with seats of different seat depth.

4. The sanitary fitting as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the flow-regulating device (10) comprises both an inlet (lOg) from and an outlet (lOf) to the mixer housing (2) for flowthrough of water from this and accommodates a valve means, for example a solenoid valve (18) , in order to regulate the flow from the inlet to the outlet.

5. The sanitary fitting as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the flow-regulating device (10) has a means, projecting into the mixer housing and interacting with the seat, for regulating flow leaving the mixer housing.

6. The sanitary fitting as claimed in any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the flow-regulating device (10) accommodates a power source (11) in order to provide energy for the automatic regulating operation and/or a connection means for such power source .

7. The sanitary fitting as claimed in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that the flow-regulating device (10) works electronically.

8. The sanitary fitting as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the flow-regulating device (10) is programmable for the setting of different regulating programs .

9. The sanitary fitting as claimed in claim 7 or 8 , characterized in that the flow-regulating device has a sensor (16, 16a) adapted to sense a deviation from a normal state so as thus to initiate the automatic functioning of the flow-regulating device.

10. The sanitary fitting as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the sensor (16, 16a) is adjustable for different types of mixer.

11. The sanitary fitting as claimed in any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that the flow-regulating device (10) constitutes an integrated part of the sanitary fitting (1) .

12. A flow-regulating device (10) for a sanitary fitting (1) , for example a thermostatic mixer, comprising a connection element (lOe) for bearing against a seat (17) in a mixer housing (2) belonging to the fitting, characterized in that it accommodates a means for driving a valve element (18) according to a presettable program and has a pin part (lOd) with an external thread of a standard type generally accepted for sanitary fittings for screwing into an internal thread of a standard type generally accepted for sanitary fittings in the mixer housing (2) .

13. The flow-regulating device as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the connection element (lOe) for bearing against the seat (17) is adjustable so as to interact with seats of different seat depth.

14. The flow-regulating device as claimed in claim 12 or 13, characterized in that it has both an inlet (lOg) from and an outlet (lOf) to the mixer housing (2) and accommodates a valve element (18) in order to regulate the flow from the inlet to the outlet.

15. The flow-regulating means as claimed in claim 12 or 13, characterized by a movable projecting means, which is arranged so as to interact with the seat for regulating flow leaving the mixer housing.

16. The flow-regulating device as claimed in any one of claims 12-15, characterized in that it has a means

(12; 16, 16a) for initiating the programmable flow- regulating movement of the valve element (18) .

17. The flow-regulating device as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the initiating means (16, 16a) is adjustable.