Pushbutton-operated valve

Claim 2

A mixing-type water valve for controlled volume delivery selectively of hot water and cold water at respective supply temperatures and mixed water at least oNe preset intermediate temperature, comprising: a hollow casing including an open-topped hollow body and a cover member secured to and closing the body top, said body having an outlet, a cold water supply-connected passage opening through at least two lateral cold inlet ports into the body hollow, a hot water supply-connected passage opening through at least two lateral hot water inlet ports into the body hollow, said cover providing operator support means extending into the hollow of the body; an elastic resilient fluid-impervious diaphragm member surrounding said support means within and sealed to the casing to define fluid flow space between said inlet ports and said outlet, said diaphragm member sealing said support means off from water in the valve; a fixed valving surface surrounding each said inlet port and a cooperating moveable valving member having a face engageable with said fixed surface continuously around the respective inlet port, the engageable areas of each said face and surface being finished to smoothness providing an effective fluid seal when held in engagement; said moveable member supported for movement toward and away from said surface as between valve closed and full open positions; a first valve operating means controlling only a first one of said hot water inlet ports for controlled delivery of hot water; a second valve operating means controlling only a first one of said cold water inlet ports for controlled delivery of cold water; each said valve-operating means including a portion moveable in said support means in one direction to communicate motion and force through said diaphragm to the respective port-associated moveable valving member to move the latter toward and hold it in valve closed position against fluid pressure at the respective inlet port, and moveable in a second direction for valve opening; and a third valve-operating means controlling simultaneously the other said hot and cold water ports for controlled delivery of mixed water at an intermediate temperature, said third operating means including portions moveable in said support means in respective first directions to communicate force and motion through said diaphragm to the moveable valve members for the other said hot and cold water ports to move toward and hold in valve closed position the last said members, and moveable in opposite directions toward valve open positions.

Claim 3

A valve as described in claim 1, wherein each said face is provided by a hard annular element as an insert bonded within the casing body to form the mouth of the respective inlet port and having the end surface about the mouth finished highly flat and smooth, and the cooperating said moveable member is a plate element of hard material having a face disposed toward said insert finished highly flat and smooth.

Claim 4

A valve as described in claim 2, wherein said elements are comprised of a hard ceramic material.

Claim 5

A valve as described in claim 1 with said support means integrally formed on, and projecting into the body from, the inner side of said cover, said support means having at least three spaced bores opening through the cover, and radial slideways intersecting respective bores and opening toward the diaphragm in alignment with each respective inlet port; said diaphragm member comprising an elastomeric member having a hollow body portion surrounding the inwardly projecting said support means and a peripherally continuous laterally flanged portion sealingly engaged between the cover and the casing body; said operator means comprising a slide in each said slideway and a slide-operating stem members moveable in respective bores having a camming engagement with the slides for camming the slides outwardly against the diaphragm and thereby to move the respective valving members toward closed position.

Claim 6

A valve as described in claim 4, wherein each said operating stem member is a pistonlike element reciprocable in the respectivE bore and having a longitudinally sloping cam surface engaging a respective said slide; said stem element pushbutton reciprocated.

Claim 7

A valve as described in claim 4 including valve member support means comprising a closed frame means disposed within said casing and circumferentially spaced from said operator support, said frame means having a portion received in an interior slot formation of said body and therein held captive by thrust of said cover through said flange portion of the diaphragm.

Claim 8

A valve as described in claim 6 wherein there is interposed, between one of said other inlet ports and its supply passage, a flow-throttling intermediate temperature-regulating adjustable valve means.

Claim 9

A valve as described in claim 7 wherein said adjustable valve means comprises a control bore intersecting a passage from the supply passage to the controlled port, an integrally molded thimble projecting from said diaphragm member into said control bore and a rotatable stem deforming said thimble in the control bore to vary the flow area to the controlled port.

Claim 10

A valve for control of a fluid comprising: a hollow casing including a hollow body having one side open and having an inlet port and an outlet, and a cover member secured to and closing said open side, said cover member providing an operator support integrally formed on and extending from the cover inner side into the hollow of the body, said support having a bore opening through the cover and a slideway intersecting the bore and in alignment with the inlet port; an elastomeric fluid-impervious diaphragm member having a hollow body portion surrounding the inwardly projecting said support and a peripherally continuous laterally flanged portion sealing engaged between the cover and the casing body, thereby to define fluid flow space between said inlet port and outlet, and form an effective watertight closure in the open body side sealing said support off from said fluid in the valve; a fixed valving surface associated with said inlet port; a movable valving member having a face cooperatively engageable with said fixed surface at the inlet port, the engageable areas of said face and surface providing an effective fluid seal when held in engagement; means supporting said movable member, independently of the hereinafter named operator means, for movement toward and away from said surface as between valve closed and full open positions, the last said means comprising a frame disposed within said body and spaced from said operator support, said frame having a portion received in a body interior slot formation and held captive therein by thrust of the cover through the diaphragm flange portions, said frame defining an aperture aligned between said slideway and said port to receive the said moveable member thereby supported; and valve operator means including a slide movable in said slideway and a slide operating stem member moveable in the said bore having a camming engagement with the slide for camming the slide outwardly against the diaphragm and thereby upon movement of said stem member in one direction to communicate motion and force through said diaphragm to said moveable valving member to move the latter toward and hold it in valve closed position against fluid pressure at the inlet port, and, upon movement of the stem member in a second direction for valve opening, said movable valving member moveable away from said inlet port.

Claim 11

A valve for control of a fluid comprising: a hollow casing including a hollow body having one side open and having an inlet port and an outlet, and a cover member secured to and closing said open side, said cover member providing an operator support integrally formed on and extending from the cover inner side into the hollow of the body, said support having a bore opening through the cover and a slideway intersecting the bore and in alignment with the inlet port; an elastomeric fluid-impervious diaphragm member having a hollow body portion surrounding the inwardly projecting said support and a peripherally continuous laterally flanged portion sealing engaged between the cover and the casing body, thereby to define fluid flow space between said inlet port and outlet, and form an effective watertight closure in the open body side sealing said support off from said fluid in the valve; a fixed valving surface associated with said inlet port; a movable valving member having a face cooperatively engageable with said fixed surface at the inlet port, the engageable areas of said face and surface providing an effective fluid seal when held in engagement; means supporting said movable member, independently of the hereinafter named operator means, for movement toward and away from said surface as between valve closed and full open positions, the last said means comprising a frame disposed within said body and spaced from said operator support, said frame having a portion received in a body interior slot formation and held captive therein by thrust of the cover through the diaphragm flange portions, said frame defining an aperture aligned between said slideway and said port to receive the said moveable member thereby supported; and valve operator means including a slide movable in said slideway and a slide operating stem member moveable in the said bore having a camming engagement with the slide for camming the slide outwardly against the diaphragm and thereby upon movement of said stem member in one direction to communicate motion and force through said diaphragm to said moveable valving member to move the latter toward and hold it in valve closed position against fluid pressure at the inlet port, and, upon movement of the stem member in a second direction for valve opening, said movable valving member moveable away from said inlet port.

Claim 12

A valve as described in claim 9, wherein said face is provided by a hard annular element as an insert bonded within the casing body to form the mouth of said inlet port, and having the end surface about the mouth finished highly flat and smooth, and said moveable member is a plate element of hard material having a face disposed toward said insert end surface finished highly flat and smooth.

Claim 13

A valve as described in claim 10, wherein said elements are comprised of a hard ceramic material.

Claim 14

A valve as described in claim 9, wherein said operating stem member is a pistonlike element reciprocable in the bore and has a longitudinally sloping cam surface engaging said slide.

Claim 15

A valve as described in claim 9 including a second inlet port for a fluid differing from that supplied to the first said inlet port, and further including for the second inlet port, as described for the first port, a fixed valving surface and cooperating moveable valving member in a respective frame aperture valve operator means.

Claim 16

A valve as described in claim 9 wherein said diaphragm member includes an externally convex integrally thickened region between the slide of said operating means and the moveable valving member.

Claim 17

A mixing-type water valve for controlled volume delivery selectively of hot water and cold water at respective supply temperatures and mixed water at at least one preset intermediate temperature, comprising: a hollow casing including an open-topped hollow body and a cover member secured to and closing the body top, said body having an outlet, a plurality of water inlet means including lateral inlet ports, a cold water supply-connected passage opening through one inlet port as a cold inlet port into the body hollow, and a hot water supply-connected passage opening through a second inlet port as a hot water inlet port into the body hollow, said cover providing operator support means extending into the hollow of the body; an elastic resilient fluid-impervious diaphragm member surrounding said support means within and sealed to the casing to define fluid flow space between said inlet ports and said outlet, said diaphragm member sealing said support means off from water in the valve; a fixed valving surface surrounding each said inlet port among said inlet means and, cooperating therewith to comprise valving means, a moveable valving member having a face engageable with said fixed surface continuously around the respective inlet port, the engageable areas of each of said face and the respective surface providing an effective fluid seal when held in engagement, each said moveable member supported for movement toward and away from the respective said surface as between valve closed and full open positions, first valve-operating means controlling only the said first inlet port for volume controlled delivery of only cold water supplied thereto from said cold water supply-connected passage; second valve-operating means controlling only the said second inlet port for volume controlled delivery of only hot water supplied thereto from said hot water supply-connected passage; each said valve-operating means including a portion moveable in said support means in one direction to communicate motion and force through said diaphragm to the respectively port-associated moveable valving member to move the latter toward and hold it in valve closed position against fluid pressure at the respective inlet port, and moveable in a second direction for valve opening; third valve-operating means controlling simultaneously the discharge of hot and cold water from water inlet means other than said first and second inlet ports and supplied thereto from said hot water supply-connected and cold water supply-connected passages for volume controlled delivery of mixed water at an intermediate temperature, said third operating means including a portion moveable in said support means in one direction to communicate force and motion through said diaphragm to a valving means for the last said inlet means to change a valve setting toward and hold a valve closed condition, and moveable in opposite direction to establish valve open conditions.

Claim 18

A mixing-type water valve for controlled volume delivery selectively of hot water and cold water at respective supply temperatures and mixed water at at least one preset intermediate temperature, comprising: a hollow casing including an open-topped hollow body and a cover member secured to and closing the body top, said body having an outlet, a plurality of water inlet means including lateral inlet ports, a cold water supply-connected passage opening through one inlet port as a cold inlet port into the body hollow, and a hot water supply-connected passage opening through a second inlet port as a hot water inlet port into the body hollow, said cover providing operator support means extending into the hollow of the body; an elastic resilient fluid-impervious diaphragm member surrounding said support means within and sealed to the casing to define fluid flow space between said inlet ports and said outlet, said diaphragm member sealing said support means off from water in the valve; a fixed valving surface surrounding each said inlet port among said inlet means and, cooperating therewith to comprise valving means, a moveable valving member having a face engageable with said fixed surface continuously around the respective inlet port, the engageable areas of each of said face and the respective surface providing an effective fluid seal when held in engagement, each said moveable member supported for movement toward and away from the respective said surface as between valve closed and full open positions, first valve-operating means controlling only the said first inlet port for volume controlled delivery of only cold water supplied thereto from said cold water supply-connected passage; second valve-operating means controlling only the said second inlet port for volume controlled delivery of only hot water supplied thereto from said hot water supply-connected passage; each said valve-operating means including a portion moveable in said support means in one direction to communicate motion and force through said diaphragm to the respectively port-associated moveable valving member to move the latter toward and hold it in valve closed position against fluid pressure at the respective inlet port, and moveable in a second direction for valve opening; third valve-operating means controlling simultaneously the discharge of hot and cold water from water inlet means other than said first and second inlet ports and supplied thereto from said hot water supply-connected and cold water supply-connected passages for volume controlled delivery of mixed water at an intermediate temperature, said third operating means including a portion moveable in said support means in one direction to communicate force and motion through said diaphragm to a valving means for the last said inlet means to change a valve setting toward and hold a valve closed condition, and moveable in opposite direction to establish valve open conditions.

Claim 19

A valve as described in claim 15, wherein each said valve-operating means includes a pistonlike element reciprocable in a respective bore in operator support means, and having a longitudinally sloping cam surface-engaging slide means shifting a respective said valve means, each said element reciprocated by a respective pushbuttonlike manually manipulated element.