Lip sealing mixing valve for lavatories, sinks, etc.

Claim 2

In a mixing valve structure: a. a valve body having means forming a valve chamber; b. means forming hot and cold water inlets opening into the chamber at spaced side locations thereof; c. a valve stem extending into said chamber and having a substantially cylindrical exterior surface portion movable to oppose said inlet openings; d. a sleeve-like sealing member made of flexible material surrounding said valve stem and held in place in said valve recess to overlie said inlet openings; e. said sealing member having interior surfaces slidingly fitting said valve stem; f. said sealing member having a pair of ports respectively establishing communication between said inlets and said interior surface portions, said ports having intermediate enlargements forming atria subjected to supply inlet pressure to expand said sealing member into sealing engagement with said inlet openings and into sealing engagement with said cylindrical surface portions; g. said valve stem having flow channel means adjoining said cylindrical surface portion to control flow into said valve chamber from said inlet openings in accordance with the angular and axial positions of said valve stem; h. said sealing member forming the only operable static and dynamic seals between said inlet openings and the exterior surface of said valve stem.

Claim 3

The mixing valve as set forth in claim 1 in which said valve stem has flow channel means on its exterior surface adjoining said cylindrical surface portions; said mixing valve structure including a cage-like support for said sealing member limiting the flexure of said sealing member toward said stem when said flow channel means are opposed to said sealing member ports.

Claim 4

The mixing valve as set forth in claim 1 in whiCh said valve stem is hollow, said valve stem having flow controlling apertures adjoining said cylindrical surface portions.

Claim 5

In a mixing valve structure: a. a valve body having a substantially cylindrical recess forming a valve chamber; b. said body having hot and cold water inlets opening into said recess on opposite sides thereof; c. means forming an outlet at the bottom of said valve chamber; d. a bonnet fitted into the valve chamber and having a substantially cylindrical bore part; e. a substantially sleeve-like sealing member made of flexible material and supported on a reduced portion of the bonnet, said sealing member having wall parts opposed to said hot and cold water inlets; f. a valve stem having a cylindrical portion slidably accommodated in the cylindrical part of said bonnet bore part; g. interior surface portions of said wall parts being located to be slidably engaged by said cylindrical portion of said stem; h. said sealing member having a pair of ports respectively establishing communication between said inlets and said interior surface portions; i. each sealing member port having an enlarged atrium forming sealing lips at the outer portion of said sealing member and at the corresponding interior surface portion operable to establish seals under the influence of line pressure both with said valve body inlets on the outside of said sealing member and with said exterior cylindrical surface portion of said stem on the inside of said sealing member; j. said valve stem having flow channel means adjoining said cylindrical surface portion to control flow into said valve chamber from said inlet openings in accordance with the angular and axial positions of said valve stem; k. said sealing member forming the only operable static and dynamic seals between said inlet openings and the exterior surface of said valve stem.

Claim 6

In a mixing valve structure: a. a valve body having a substantially cylindrical recess forming a valve chamber; b. said body having hot and cold water inlets opening into said recess on opposite sides thereof; c. means forming an outlet at the bottom of said valve chamber; d. a bonnet fitted into the valve chamber and having a substantially cylindrical bore part; e. a substantially sleeve-like sealing member made of flexible material and supported on a reduced portion of the bonnet, said sealing member having wall parts opposed to said hot and cold water inlets; f. a valve stem having a cylindrical portion slidably accommodated in the cylindrical part of said bonnet bore part; g. interior surface portions of said wall parts being located to be slidably engaged by said cylindrical portion of said stem; h. said sealing member having a pair of ports respectively establishing communication between said inlets and said interior surface portions; i. each sealing member port having an enlarged atrium forming sealing lips at the outer portion of said sealing member and at the corresponding interior surface portion operable to establish seals under the influence of line pressure both with said valve body inlets on the outside of said sealing member and with said exterior cylindrical surface portion of said stem on the inside of said sealing member; j. said valve stem having flow channel means adjoining said cylindrical surface portion to control flow into said valve chamber from said inlet openings in accordance with the angular and axial positions of said valve stem; k. said sealing member forming the only operable static and dynamic seals between said inlet openings and the exterior surface of said valve stem.

Claim 7

The mixing valve as set forth in claim 4 in which said sealing member has embossments forming said interior surface portions, said embossments extending through corresponding apertures in said supporting bonnet.

Claim 8

The mixing valve as set forth in claim 4 in which said valve stem has flow channel means on its exterior surface adjoining said cylindrical surface portions; said sealing member having embossments forming its said interior surface portions, said embossments extending through corresponding apertures formed in said supporting bonnet; the walls of said bonnet at the regions of said bosses allowing only limited flexure of said sealing member.

Claim 9

The mixing valve as set forth in claim 6 in which said flow channel means of said stem are located inwardly of the stem relative to said cylindrical surface portion; said body having a receiving chamber communicating with an outlet, said receiving chamber surrounding said flow channel means when said stem is in valve closing position.

Claim 10

The mixing valve as set forth in claim 7 in which said valve body has a pressure balancing chamber located beyond said receiving chamber; said stem having at its inner end, a piston slidable in said pressure balancing chamber; said stem having an axial vent opening at one end in said pressure balancing chamber and opening at the other end frontally of the valve chamber; said pressure balancing chamber having a size substantially equal to the size of said cylindrical part of said bonnet bore.

Claim 11

The mixing valve as set forth in claim 4 in which said bonnet is keyed to said valve body to determine an angular orientation with respect to said body, said sealing member being interlocked by said bonnet to determine an angular orientation of said sealing member with respect to said bonnet.