Thermostatic mixing valve

Claim 1

A VALVE FOR PROPORTIONALLY MIXING A WARMER AND A COOLER FLUID SO THAT THE RESULTANT MIXTURE IS MAINING AT A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT TEMPERATURE, COMPRISING A HOUSING DEFINING AN INTERNAL MIXING CHAMBER AND HAVING A FIRST INLET FOR ADMITTING THE COOLER FLUID, A SECOND INLET FOR ADMITTING THE WARMER FLUID, AND AN OUTLET FOR PERMITTING EVACUATION OF THE FLUID MIXTURE FROM SAID CHAMBER; A REGULATING MEMBER AXIALLY RECIPROCABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A CENTRAL BORE COMMUNICATING ONLY WITH SAID FIRST INLET AND WITH SAID CHAMBER SO THAT THE COOLER FLUID MAY FLOW THROUGH SAID BORE AND INTO SAID CHAMBER; STATIONARY SUPPORTING MEANS PROVIDED IN SAID HOUSING AND DEFINING WITH SAID MEMBER AN ANNULAR PASSAGE WHOSE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA IS VERIABLE IN RESPONSE TO AXIAL MOVEMENTS OF SAID MEMBER, SAID PASSAGE COMMUNICATING ONLY WITH SAID SECOND INLET AND WITH SAID CHAMBER SO THAT THE WARMER FLUID MAY FLOW THROUGH SAID PASSAGE AND INTO SAID CHAMBER TO FORM A FLUID MIXTURE WITH THE COOLER FLUID; FIRST RESILIENT MEANS FOR BIASING SAID MEMBER IN A DIRECTION TO INCREASE THE AREA OF SAID PASSAGE AND THEREBY INCREASE THE RATE OF FLOW OF WARMER FLUID TO SAID CHAMBER; AND SECOND RESILIENT MEANS PROVIDED IN SAID CHAMBER FOR BIASING SAID MEMBER IN A DIRECTION TO REDUCE THE AREA OF SAID PASSAGE AND TO THEREBY REDUCE THE RATE OF FLOW OF WARMER FLUID TO SAID CHAMBER, SAID SECOND RESILIENT MEANS COAXIAL WITH SAID MEMBER AND COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE BIMETALLIC THERMOSTAT WHICH IS FULLY ACCOMMODATED IN SAID CHAMBER AND WHOSE BIAS UPON MEMBER INCREASES IN RESPONSE TO A RISE IN TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID MIXTURE IN SAID CHAMBER WHEREBY THE AREA OF SAID PASSAGE AND THE RATE OF FLOW OF WARNER FLUID ARE REDUCED AUTOMATICALLY IN RESPONSE TO A RISE IN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE FLUID MIXTURE.