Pushbutton-operated sliding plate mixing valve

Claim 2

A fluid controlling valve comprising: a body including spaced first and second wall portions rigidly joined by a bottom wall, said first and second wall portions having parallel opposed faces and with the bottom wall defining a slotlike, valving element receiving space open at the top and at opposite ends, said body having fluid supply connections and a discharge connection and, from said connections, body passage discharge and inlet openings through at least the face of said first wall portion to controlled discharge and inlet ports, a set of faceto-face abutting stationary and shiftable plates parallel to said faces as a valving member subassembly in the slotlike space including a stationary port plate with a discharge port and at least one inlet port therethrough in alignment with and sealed to respective inlet and discharge openings in the said first wall portion, a stationary pressure plate in face-to-face relation with the second said wall portion, resilient means interposed between the second wall section and the pressure plate biasing the latter toward the first wall portion to hold the successive plates of the set in face-toface relation, and at least one shiftable plate in said set having valving passages therein adapted at a first position of the plate as an ''''off'''' position to shut off communication of said discharge port from any inlet port, at a second position as a full ''''on'''' position to provide maximum communication between said discharge port and at least one inlet port, and in advancing from said off to said on position to provide an increasing flow passage between said discharge port and said one inlet port; cooperating faces of said shiftable and stationary plates, through which open said ports and valving passages, being wear-resistant and highly smooth and flat thereby to afford a slidable sealing contact under the biasing force applied through the pressure plate to the set; means for retaining said set in the slotlike space; and shiftable plate shifting means.

Claim 3

A valve as described in claim 1 wherein the shiftable and stationary plates having the highly smooth and flat faces comprise hard-lapped ceramic plates.

Claim 4

A valve as described in claim 1 wherein: said first and second wall portions and stationary plates terminate in coplanar top end surfaces adjacent the slotlike space and coplanar lateral end surfaces at opposite open ends of said space; said stationary plates seated on said bottom wall; said means for retaining the set including a cover plate secured on said top end surfaces.

Claim 5

A valve as described in claim 3, wherein said shiftable plate is shorter in vertical dimension than the stationary plates and is vertically shiftable, said plate shifting means comprises a vertically reciprocable hollow frame peripherally embracing the edges of the shiftable plate and having clearances with respect to the shiftable plate and adjacent stationary plates to ensure communication of the pressure plate force through the plates of said set without interference by said frame.

Claim 6

A valve as described in claim 4 wherein, as a part of said means for retaining the set, said hollow frame includes flanges extending from its opposite vertical ends across an adjacent stationary plate to overlap respective said vertical lateral end surfaces of one of said wall portions.

Claim 7

A valve as described in claim 4, wherein the shiftable plate reciprocating means includes a frame tang extending slidably through said cover plate and mechanism including a pushbutton pivoted with respect to the cover plate for reciprocating said tang.

Claim 8

A valve as described in claim 3 wherein said shiftable plate is longitudinally slidable on said bottom wall and has an upper edge substantially coplanar with said coplanar top surfaces of the wall portions, said upper edge of the shiftable plate including a toothed rack formation extending over a part of its length, an actuating arm pivoted on said cover plate and having a gear segment formation projecting through the cover plate to mesh with said rack, whereby swinging of said arm reciprocates said shiftable plate between said off and on positions; said cover plate including depending formations engaging opposite ends of said stationary plates for retention against longitudinal sliding.

Claim 9

A valve as described in claim 3 wherein: said shiftable plate is a disk and said shifting means includes a radial arm on the disk extending through an elongated slot in said cover plate, said disk being retained in a stationary framing plate thinner than the disk and having an opening therethrough providing a circularly arcuate seat engaging a portion of the disk circumference and a top slot for arm shifting in alignment with the cover slot.

Claim 10

A valve as described in claim 1 wherein: said stationary port plate has two said inlet ports respectively in communication with distinct fluid supply connections of said body; said set of plates includes at least a second shiftable plate and said shiftable plates are disposed respectively adjacent the said stationary port plate and pressure plate; an intermediate port plate sandwiched between said two shiftable plates; the first said shiftable plate having first and second apertures therethrough respectively in communication with a one said inlet port and said discharge port of said Stationary port plate when the first said shiftable plate is in said off position, the second aperture movable into increasing coincidence with both of said inlet ports after the first shiftable plate moves from its off position to provide an increasing mixed fluid flow to the discharge port; said intermediate port plate including first and second apertures therethrough communicating with said first and second apertures of the first shiftable plate in off position; said second shiftable plate in off position closing off said apertures of the intermediate plate from each other and including a passage putting said apertures of the intermediate plate and thereby said first inlet port and discharge port into communication with each other after, and increasingly with, movement of the second shiftable plate away from its off position; the second shiftable plate and adjacent stationary plates having wear-resistant and highly smooth cooperating faces as described with respect to the first shiftable plate.

Claim 11

A valve as described in claim 9 wherein the shiftable and stationary plates having the highly smooth and flat faces comprise hard-lapped ceramic plates.

Claim 12

A valve as described in claim 9 wherein: said first and second wall portions and the stationary plates terminate in coplanar top end surfaces adjacent the slotlike space and coplanar lateral end surfaces at opposite open ends of said space; said stationary plates seated on said bottom wall; said means for retaining the set including a cover plate secured on said top end surfaces.

Claim 13

A valve as described in claim 11, wherein: said shiftable plates are shorter in vertical dimension than the stationary plates and are vertically shiftable; said plate shifting means comprises for each shiftable plate a vertically reciprocable hollow frame peripherally embracing the edges of the respective shiftable plate and having clearances with respect to that shiftable plate and the adjacent stationary plates to ensure communication of the pressure plate force through the plates of said set without interference by said frame.

Claim 14

A valve as described in claim 12 wherein, as a part of said means for retaining the set, each said hollow frame includes flanges extending from its opposite vertical ends across an adjacent stationary plate to overlap respective said vertical lateral end surfaces of a respective one of said wall portions.

Claim 15

A valve as described in claim 13, wherein the shiftable plate reciprocating means includes for each frame a frame tang extending slidably through said cover plate and mechanism including a pushbutton pivoted with respect to the cover plate for reciprocating said tang.

Claim 16

A mixing-type water valve for providing a controlled flow of water selectively at hot supply temperature, cold supply temperature and at least one preset temperature intermediate the hot and cold, comprising: a body having at least two parallel slot formations, each formation having parallel opposed wall faces and respective wall portions rigidly joined by bottom wall portions, and providing slots as respective valving assembly receiving spaces, said body having hot and cold water supply connections and a discharge connection and, from said connections, body discharge and inlet passageways with openings through at least one of said faces of at least each of two said slots to controlled discharge and inlet ports, respective sets of plates forming valving assemblies received in the respective slot space; each said assembly including a set of face-to-face sealingly abutting stationary and shiftable plates disposed parallel to said faces, and each assembly further including a stationary port plate with a discharge port and at least one inlet port therethrough in alignment with and sealed to respective discharge and inlet passageway openings in one face of the respective slot, a stationary pressure plate adjacent the other face of the rEspective slot, at least one shiftable plate in each said assembly having valving passages therein adapted at a first position of the plate as an ''''off'''' position to shut off communication of said discharge port from any inlet port, at a second position as a full ''''on'''' position to provide maximum communication between said discharge port and at least one inlet port, and in advancing from said ''''off'''' to said ''''on'''' position to provide an increasing flow passage between the said discharge port and said one inlet port, and resilient means biasing the plates of the assembly into face-to-face contacting relation; cooperating faces of said shiftable and stationary plates, through which open said ports and valving passages, being wear-resistant and highly smooth and flat thereby to afford a slidable sealing contact under the biasing force applied by said resilient means in the assembly; means for retaining each said assembly in the respective slot space; and shifting means for each said shiftable plate; among said assemblies, a first shiftable plate controlling communication of a hot water inlet port to a discharge port, a second shiftable plate controlling communication of a cold water port to a discharge port, and at least a third shiftable plate controlling simultaneous communication to a discharge port of both a hot water port and a cold water port, thereby to deliver unmixed water at supply temperature from the respective supply connections by individual operation of the first and second shiftable plates, and mixed water at a said intermediate temperature by individual operation of the said third shiftable plate.

Claim 17

A mixing-type water valve for providing a controlled flow of water selectively at hot supply temperature, cold supply temperature and at least one preset temperature intermediate the hot and cold, comprising: a body having at least two parallel slot formations, each formation having parallel opposed wall faces and respective wall portions rigidly joined by bottom wall portions, and providing slots as respective valving assembly receiving spaces, said body having hot and cold water supply connections and a discharge connection and, from said connections, body discharge and inlet passageways with openings through at least one of said faces of at least each of two said slots to controlled discharge and inlet ports, respective sets of plates forming valving assemblies received in the respective slot space; each said assembly including a set of face-to-face sealingly abutting stationary and shiftable plates disposed parallel to said faces, and each assembly further including a stationary port plate with a discharge port and at least one inlet port therethrough in alignment with and sealed to respective discharge and inlet passageway openings in one face of the respective slot, a stationary pressure plate adjacent the other face of the rEspective slot, at least one shiftable plate in each said assembly having valving passages therein adapted at a first position of the plate as an ''''off'''' position to shut off communication of said discharge port from any inlet port, at a second position as a full ''''on'''' position to provide maximum communication between said discharge port and at least one inlet port, and in advancing from said ''''off'''' to said ''''on'''' position to provide an increasing flow passage between the said discharge port and said one inlet port, and resilient means biasing the plates of the assembly into face-to-face contacting relation; cooperating faces of said shiftable and stationary plates, through which open said ports and valving passages, being wear-resistant and highly smooth and flat thereby to afford a slidable sealing contact under the biasing force applied by said resilient means in the assembly; means for retaining each said assembly in the respective slot space; and shifting means for each said shiftable plate; among said assemblies, a first shiftable plate controlling communication of a hot water inlet port to a discharge port, a second shiftable plate controlling communication of a cold water port to a discharge port, and at least a third shiftable plate controlling simultaneous communication to a discharge port of both a hot water port and a cold water port, thereby to deliver unmixed water at supply temperature from the respective supply connections by individual operation of the first and second shiftable plates, and mixed water at a said intermediate temperature by individual operation of the said third shiftable plate.

Claim 18

A mixing valve as described in claim 15 wherein: the body passageway from one supply connection to a second inlet port of a first slot space is provided with an adjustable flow-restricting means as a means of presetting a first mixed flow temperature.

Claim 19

A valve as described in claim 16 wherein: the body passageway from the other supply connection to a second slot space is also provided with an adjustable flow-restricting means as a means of presetting a second mixed flow temperature.

Claim 20

A mixing valve as described in claim 15 wherein the frames and the corresponding plates of the assemblies are identical.

Claim 21

A mixing valve as described in claim 15 wherein the shiftable and stationary plates having the highly smooth and flat faces comprise hard, lapped ceramic plates.

Claim 22

A valve as described in claim 15, wherein said shiftable plates are rectilinearly shiftable parallel to the slot faces.

Claim 23

A valve as described in claim 20, wherein said shiftable plates have top edges provided with a rack formation, and each is shifted by a respective lever arm having a gearlike formation engaged in the respective rack and concentric with the axis of pivoting of the lever.

Claim 24

A lever as described in claim 20, wherein to provide said shifting means said shiftable plates are peripherally enclosed in respective like frames, each having a respective tang extending in the direction of rectilinear shiftability and each tang is engaged by a device including a pushbutton whereby the individual shiftable plates are finger-operable.

Claim 25

A valve as described in claim 15, wherein: said shiftable plates have a disklike form with respective tangs projecting from the circumference; and including for each shiftable plate a frame plate having a circular aperture embracing the major extent of the shiftable plate circumference, each said frame plate having an edgewise slot opening to said aperture for accommodation of a respective plate tang whereby each shiftable plate is rotationally shiftable in the respective frame plate by angular displacement of its tang.

Claim 26

A valve as described in claim 15, wherein: said body has two slot formations defining therebetween a central wall portion wherein are located said supply and discharge connections and body passageways opening through respecTive wall faces of the central wall portion; said stationary port plate in each slot has two said inlet ports respectively in communication with the hot and cold supply connection passageways of said body; each said assembly includes at least a second shiftable plate, and an intermediate port plate sandwiched between the two said shiftable plates, the two said shiftable plates being disposed respectively adjacent the said stationary port plate and pressure plate of the assembly; the first said shiftable plate in each assembly, as valving passages, having first and second apertures therethrough respectively in communication with a one said inlet port and said discharge port of said stationary port plate when the first said shiftable plate is in its said ''''off'''' position, the second aperture movable into increasing coincidence with both of said inlet ports after the first shiftable plate moves from its ''''off'''' position to provide an increasing mixed water flow to the discharge port; said intermediate port plate in each assembly including first and second apertures therethrough communicating with said first and second apertures of the first shiftable plate in ''''off'''' position; said second shiftable plate in ''''off'''' position closing off said apertures of the intermediate plate from each other and including a passage putting said apertures of the intermediate plate and thereby said first inlet port and discharge port into communication with each other after, and increasing with, movement of the second shiftable plate away from its ''''off'''' position; the second shiftable plate and adjacent stationary plates having wear-resistant and highly smooth cooperating faces as described with respect to the first said shiftable plate.