AU638380B2

AU638380B2 - A valve assembly

Info

Publication number: AU638380B2
Application number: AU18442/92A
Authority: AU
Inventors: John Bosanquet
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-06-19
Filing date: 1992-06-19
Publication date: 1993-06-24
Anticipated expiration: 2011-09-24
Also published as: AU1844292A

Description

P/00/01 1 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1 990 -9 ff 3 8 00"

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: A VALVE ASSEMBLY S

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The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: GH&CO REF: 21999-A RPW/MVS 2 The present invention relates to a valve assembly and has particular application for water taps and is herein described in this context. However, the valve assembly according to the present invention has broader application and may be used to regulate any fluid, either liquid or gas.

A common tap assembly incorporates separate hot and cold water taps arranged to regulate the flow through respective hot and cold water pipes. The pipes are joined downstream of the taps to exit through a single spout. This is the normal arrangement for a shower. A problem associated with this type of assembly is that it o• is difficult to quickly regulate the taps such that the water flows from the spout at an ideal temperature.

15 Usually the hot and cold water taps are turned on, the temperature is checked and then the taps are adjusted until the preferred temperature is obtained. This process is time consuming and often tends to waste considerable amounts of water. Furthermore, for the 20 elderly or for people with disabilities, this task can be quite difficult.

The aim of the present invention is to ameliorate this problem. Accordingly the present invention provides a valve assembly comprising a screw spindle having a 25 central axis interconnecting first and second ends, the screw spindle being threadingly mounted to a valve body and being capable of rotation about said axis, a handle being secured to the first end of the spindle and a valve disc being located at the second end, the valve assembly being arranged such that rotation of the spindle about said axis causes the valve assembly to move from a closed to a fully open positioi,, the valve assembly further comprising indicating means arranged to indicate a predetermined degree of rotation of the spindle from the closed position, the indicating means comprising a light source arranged to project a beam and a receiver, one of either the light source or the receiver being located and/or moveable in the handle and the other being 21999-A/05.05.92 3 positioned or positionable such that on rotation of the spindle, the receiver is caused to register with the beam to emit a signal wherein said signal indicates the predetermined degree of rotation of the spindle.

Preferably, the valve assembly further comprises a housing in which the light source is located and preferably the line of projection of the beam can be varied or the position of the receiver in the handle can be varied to vary the predetermined degree of rotation to be indicated by the indicating means.

In a preferred embodiment, the receiver comprises an aperture incbrporating a transparent or translucent material, preferably a plastic, therein and is arranged such that as the beam crosses the receiver, the light :15 beam passes through the aperture and illuminates the plastic material, and the illumination of the plastic material constitutes the signal.

In a further aspect, the present invention relates to indicating means arranged to be used in the valve 20 assembly as described above.

Also disclosed in this specification is a valve assembly comprising a screw spindle having a central axis interconnecting first and second ends, the screw spindle being threadingly mounted to a valve body and being 25 capable of rotation about said axis, a handle being secured to the first end of the spindle and a valve disc being located at the second end, the valve assembly being arranged such that rotation of the spindle about said axis causes the valve assembly to move from a closed to a fully open position, the valve assembly further comprising indicating means arranged to indicate a predetermined degree of rotation of the spindle from the closed position, the indicating means comprising a stop which is mounted to a housing surrounding the valve body, the stop being movable on the housing along a line which maintains a constant radius from the axis of the spindle, and a lug extending from the handle and arranged to engage the stop on rotation of the spindle, wherein 21999-A/05.05.92 -4engagement of the stop and the lug indicates the predetermined degree of rotation of the spindle.

In one embodiment, the indicating means can comprise a stop slidably mounted in a slot located on a housing surrounding the valve body. The stop can slide in guide channels which are arcuate in shape and arranged to extend at a constant radius from the axis of the spindle.

The indicating means then further incorporates a lug extending from the handle which is arranged to engage the stop on rotation of the spindle. In use the stop is positioned within the guide channels such that on rotatiin of the spindle from the closed position, oe engagement of the lug with the stop indicates the said predetermined degree of rotation of the spindle.

Preferably, the stop is releasably secured to the guide channels and preferably this is through a clamping action. In this way the stop can be moved to it's correct position and clamped into place. This is beneficial as it prevents inadvertent movement of the 20 stop in the guide channels.

Preferably, the stop is able to pivot relative to the housing from an upright position wherein on rotation of the spindle the lug engages the stop, to an inclined •coo position wherein the lug and the stop do not engage on 25 rotation of the spindle. Therefore, once in the inclined position, the stop does not prevent rotation of the spindle from the closed position to the fully open position.

Notwithstanding any other forms that may fall within its scope, a preferred form of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a sectional view of a water tap incorporating a form of indicating means; Figure 2 is a sectional view along section line 2-2 in figure 1; Figure 3 is a sectional view along section line 3-3 in figure 2; 21999-A/05.05.92 Figure 4 is a sectional view of a water tap according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 5 is a sectional view along section line in figure 4.

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, a tap 10 is connected in series to a hot water pipe 11 and arranged to regulate the flow therethrough. The tap 10 forms part of a shower assembly (not shown) which comprises an identical tap to regulate the cold water pipe and the hot and cold water pipes are joined downstream of the respective taps such that the water flow exits through a shower rose. As the tap forms part of the shower be assembly it is mounted to the bathroom wall 12.

The tap 10 comprises a screw spindle 13 threadingly 15 mounted to a valve body 14, such that it is able to b e 0: rotate around a central axis 15. The axis 15 of the spindle 13 interconnects a first end 16 and a second end 17. A tap handle 18 is mounted to the first end 16 and a valve disc 19 is located at the second end. The valve 20 disc 19 is arranged to register with a valve seat located in the pipe 11.

Rotation of the spindle causes movement of the spindle along the line of the cental axis 15. In this way, rotation of the spindle 13 causes the spindle to 25 move from a closed position where the valve disc 19 registers with the valve seat 20, to a fully opened position wherein the valve disc is remote from the valve seat An outer housing 21 extends around the valve body 14 and is secured to the wall 12. Although in this embodiment, the housing is separate from the wall 12 in an alternative embodiment (not shown), the outer housing 21 is not required as the tap 10 is further recessed into the wall 12 such that the wall 12 abuts directly onto the valve body 14. In this way the wall 12 becomes the outer housing for the tap A stop 22 is located on the housing and is slidably mounted within a slot 23. The slot is arcuate in shape 21999-A/05.05.92 6 aid arranged to extend at a constant radius from the axis of the spindle 13.

The stop 22 comprises a projection 24 which is pivotally mounted to a base 25 which abuts the housing 14 at- the periphery of the slot 23. The projection 24 is able to move from an upright position to an inclined position as shown in phantom in Figure 3.

The base 25 incorporates a bolt 26 to which a flat nut 27 is connected. The flat nut which is rectangular in shape is arranged to extend across the width of the slot 23 and be retained within guide channels 28. With this arrangement rotation of the base 25 causes relative movement between the base plate 25 and the nut 27. This forms a clamping action which enables the stop 22 to be 15 releasably clamped to the housing 21.

A lug 29 extends from the tap handle 18 and when the stop 22 is in the upright position, it is arranged to engage the stop on rotation of the handle and spindle.

A shower assembly incorporating two like taps 10 is 20 arranged to operate as follows: Initially, the taps 10 are in the fully closed position and the stop 22 on each tap 10 is in the inclined position. To operate the shower, the taps are turned on and the taps are adjusted until the water flows S" 25 from the shower rose at an ideal temperature. The stops 22 from each of the taps are then moved in the arcuate slots until they are located adjacent to the lug 29.

Each stop 22 is moved to the upright position and is arranged to abut the lugs to prevent further rotation of the handle, and as such the spindle, to the fully open position. The stops are then clamped into this position by rotation of the base 25 relative to the flat nut 28.

The stops have now been correctly located and after use of the shower, the taps are turned off in the normal manner. However when the shower is to be used again, rather than needing to check the water temperature and adjust the taps, with the provision of the stops 22 being correctly located, all that is necessary is that the taps 21999-A/05.05.92 7 are turned from the closed position until the lug 29 engages the stop 22 as this position indicates the degree of rotation of the spindle which is necessary to produce the ideal water temperature. Therefore the time required to set the shower is reduced, in addition a minimum amount of water is wasted. Furthermore, if for any reason it is necessary to alter the temperature by opening the valves further, all that is required is that the stops are moved to their inclined position wherein they do not inhibit rotation of the spindle to the fully open position.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, rather than use a stop 22, a light source 30 is provided within the housing 21 and is arranged to project a light beam through an aperture 31 in the direction of the handle 18. The handle incorporates an aperture 32 which is arranged to register with the light beam at a particular point on the rotation of the spindle. A plastic material 33 is located within the aperture and is arranged to illuminate 20 once the light beam passes through the aperture. This illumination gives a signal that the light beam has registered with the aperture.

Thus, the spindle is rotated to its predetermined position. The light source is then moved, for example, 25 by rotating the housing about central axis 15, until the S.light's beam aligns with and projects into aperture 32, illuminating the plastic material 33. This housing position can be fixed so as to allow the relocation of the spindle at this position at some future point in time, thus, with this arrangement, the light beam and aperture can be used to indicate when the spindle has moved through a predetermined degree of rotation from the closed position.

A further alternative (not shown) also uses a light source. However instead of a small aperture located within the handle, an arcuate slot is located within the handle and arranged to extend at a constant radius from the axis of the spindle.

21999-A/05.05.92 8 An indicator is slidably mounted within the slot and in this arrangement the beam from the light source 31 is arranged to project into the arcuate slot and, as the handle rotates the beam will cross the path of the indicator located within the slot. As this indicator can move within the slot 'the exact point at which the light beam registers with the indicator can be varied. The registering of the light beam with the indicator can be used to indicate a predetermined degree of rotation of the spindle from the closed position. Furthermore this degree of rotation can be varied by sliding of the indicator within the arcuate slot.

The indicator can slide in guide channels which are arcuate in shape and which are arranged to extend at a 15 constant radius from the axis of the screw spindle. The indicator can be made releasably secured to the guide channels through a clamping action.

Variations or modifications can be made in respect of the invention above described and defined in the following statement of claim.

oo* *o ee 21999-A05.05.92

Claims

2. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a housing wherein the light source is located in the housing and the receiver is located in the handle 25 and wherein the signal emitted by registering of the beam and the receiver consists of illumination of the receiver.
3. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the line of projection of the beam is varied to vary the predetermined degree of rotation indicated by the indicating means.
4. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein when the light source is located in the housing and the receiver is located in the handle, rotation of the housing about the central axis causes the line of projection of the beam to be varied.
21999-A/05.05.92 t h A valve assembly as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein when the receiver is located in the handle, the position of the receiver in the handle can be varied to vary the predetermined degree of rotation indicated by the indication means. 6. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the receiver is slidably mounted in a slot located in the handle, the receiver sliding in guide channels which are arcuate in shape and arranged to extend at a constant radius from the central axis. 7. A valve assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the receiver is arranged to be made releasably securable to 15 the guide channels through a clamping action. 8. A valve assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the receiver is formed from a transparent or translucent material. 9. A valve assembly substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings. 25 DATED this 19th day of June 1992 JOHN BOSANOUET By his Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK CO 21999-A/05.05.92