Single-lever cartridge for a sanitary fitting

Abstract

Single-lever cartridge for a sanitary fitting for adjusting the temperature and / or quantity of mixed water by means of a pivoting lever (3) which is pivoted in a pivoting sleeve (1) pivotally mounted in the cartridge on a tilting axis (K), which divides the pivoting lever (3) into a lever arm (11) projecting from the cartridge and into a lever arm (13) which is connected to a displaceable control disc (8) via an axis connection (15), so that upon a tilting movement of the pivoting lever (3) about the tilting axis (K), the displaceable control disc (8) can be displaced in a linear movement for adjusting the quantity of mixed water, wherein the displaceable control disc (8) is coupled to the pivoting sleeve (1) via a slotted guide (23), with which a movement profile can be imposed on the displaceable control disc (8) upon the tilting movement of the pivoting lever (3), in which the control disc (8) is provided with a Lateral offset (Δy) can be shifted perpendicular to the linear movement,characterized in that a bearing axis (L) is defined in the axis connection (15) between the lever arm (13) and the displaceable control disc (8), and in that the lateral offset (Δy) of the movement profile is aligned axially parallel to the bearing axis (L), and in that a bearing clearance (ΔI) is provided to compensate for the movement profile between the lever arm (13) and the displaceable control disc (8).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a single-lever cartridge for a sanitary fitting for adjusting the temperature and / or quantity of mixed water according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

[0002] Single-lever cartridges are widely used in the sanitary sector. Tilting the swivel lever of such a single-lever cartridge adjusts the mixed water flow rate. Turning the swivel lever adjusts the mixed water temperature. A common single-lever cartridge is designed so that equal amounts of cold and hot water flow through it when the swivel lever is turned to the center position upon opening. In contrast, there are country-specific approval requirements that stipulate that when the swivel lever is turned to the center position upon opening, only cold water flows through the single-lever cartridge first, and only hot water flows through it further as the cartridge is opened.

[0003] A single-lever cartridge of this type is known from DE 43 08 994 C1. Its pivoting lever is typically hinged to a tilting axis in a pivoting sleeve mounted on a pivoting shaft in the cartridge housing. The tilting shaft divides the pivoting lever into a lever arm protruding from the cartridge and a lever arm connected to a movable control disc via an axis connection. The pivoting lever is connected to the movable control disc in such a way that when the pivoting lever tilts (i.e., opens) about the tilting shaft, the movable control disc can be moved in a linear motion to adjust the mixed water flow rate. The movable control disc interacts with a stationary control disc that contains inlet openings for both cold and hot water.The inlet openings of the fixed control disc can be brought into different overlaps with a recess of the movable control disc in order to adjust the temperature or the quantity of the mixed water.

[0004] In DE 43 08 994 C1, the edge contour of the recess of the sliding control disc has a stepped profile with a control edge. The stepped profile is designed so that the sliding control disc, in its central rotational position, first opens the flow path for cold water upon opening and only then opens the flow path for hot water.

[0005] For the sliding control disc used in DE 43 08 994 C1, the recess must therefore have a special edge geometry to meet the approval requirements outlined above. Therefore, in addition to the standard sliding control discs, sliding control discs with country-specific designs must also be kept in stock at the factory, which involves manufacturing and logistics costs.

[0006] Further related prior art is described in the document JP 2014- 20 550 A which discloses a cartridge intended to save hot water.

[0007] The object of the invention is to provide a single-lever cartridge for a sanitary fitting in which additional degrees of freedom in adjusting the temperature and the quantity of mixed water can be provided in a simple manner.

[0008] The object is solved by the features of patent claim 1. Preferred developments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims.

[0009] The invention is based on the fundamental idea that identically constructed movable control discs should be used for both common single-lever cartridges and cartridges that meet the approval requirements outlined above. Against this background, according to the characterizing part of patent claim 1, the movable control disc is no longer provided with a special recess geometry, but rather is coupled to the pivot sleeve via a slotted guide. By means of this slotted guide, a movement profile can be imposed on the movable control disc during a tilting movement of the pivot lever (i.e., opening movement), in which the control disc is displaced perpendicular to the linear movement with a lateral offset. In this way, a movable control disc of the same design can be used for both a conventional cartridge and a country-specific cartridge.

[0010] According to the invention, the movable control disc can therefore not only execute a linear movement during a lever tilting movement, but rather execute different movement profiles depending on the slotted guide, whereby the design of the flow paths within the cartridge can be carried out with significantly greater degrees of freedom.

[0011] The pivot lever is connected within the cartridge by a lever arm via an axle connection to the movable control disc. The axle connection between the lever arm and the movable control disc thus defines a bearing axis that runs parallel to the tilting axis. The above-mentioned lateral offset of the movable control disc (in the case of a lever tilting movement) is also aligned parallel to the bearing axis and the tilting axis. To compensate for this lateral offset, the axle connection must be specially designed. Bearing clearance is provided between the lever arm and the movable control disc. This ensures that the movable control disc can be adjusted smoothly during a lever tilting movement - despite the imposed movement profile.

[0012] In a particularly simple technical implementation, the guide rail can comprise a guide rail and a cooperating pin, each provided on the movable control disc and the pivot sleeve. Particularly preferably, a slide plate manufactured as a separate component is assigned to the movable control disc. The control disc and the slide plate together form a one-piece unit in which both the guide rail pin (optionally also the guide rail) and the bearing point for the axle connection are formed on the slide plate, not on the control disc. Therefore, the movable control disc does not need to be adapted to the guide rail in any way.

[0013] In common practice, the movable control disc interacts with a stationary control disc containing the inlets for the cold and hot water. The two inlets can preferably be arranged symmetrically with respect to a central plane in the stationary control disc. The two inlets in the stationary control disc can be brought into varying degrees of overlap with a recess in the movable control disc connected to the water outlet of the sanitary fitting, thereby adjusting the temperature and flow rate of the mixed water flowing from the water outlet. The flow rate is adjusted via the aforementioned tilting movement of the pivot lever around the tilt axis in the pivot sleeve.

[0014] In contrast, the temperature of the mixed water is adjusted via a rotary movement. For this purpose, the swivel sleeve, together with the pivot lever mounted within it, is mounted in the cartridge housing so that it can rotate around a rotation axis. When rotated, the pivot lever, together with the swivel sleeve and the movable control disc, forms a motion-coupled unit.

[0015] With a view to a simple cartridge structure, it is preferred if the guide rail is formed directly on the end face of the pivot sleeve facing the slide plate. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the guide rail can be designed such that when the pivot lever is rotated to the middle position during opening, cold water is supplied first and only as the opening process continues can mixed water emerge from the water outlet. This means that when the lever is tilted until the adjustable control disc is fully opened, a movement profile is imposed which first opens the flow path for the cold water. Only when the lever is tilted further until the valve is fully opened is the lateral offset then used up again to zero, so that at the maximum opening angle, mixed water can emerge instead of just cold water.

[0016] The advantageous embodiments and / or further developments of the invention explained above and / or reproduced in the subclaims can be used individually or in any combination with one another - except, for example, in cases of clear dependencies or incompatible alternatives.

[0017] The invention and its advantageous developments and further developments as well as their advantages are explained in more detail below by drawings.

[0018] They show: Fig. 1 in an exploded view a swivel sleeve with integrated swivel lever and a control disc arrangement of a single-lever cartridge; Fig. 2 in a detailed view of the slide track of a slide guide according to the invention; Fig. 3 a sequence of movements of the pivot lever in its central rotational position from its closed position to its maximum opening position; and Fig. 4 in a further sequence of movements the pivot lever in its central rotary position from a closed position to a central tilt position.

[0019] In the Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a swivel sleeve 1 with integrated swivel lever 3 and a control disc assembly 5 of a single-lever cartridge. The swivel sleeve 1 and the control disc assembly 5 are in the assembled state in a Fig. 3 indicated cartridge housing 2. The cartridge housing 2 is in turn installed in the fitting housing of a sanitary fitting with a water outlet. As can be seen from the Fig. 1, the pivot sleeve 1 has on its lower end face an annular collar 7 with an enlarged diameter, in which a rotation stop 9 is formed. In the installed position in the cartridge housing, the pivot sleeve 1 can be rotated about a rotation axis D by a rotation angle predetermined by the rotation stops 9. The pivot lever 3 is articulated within the pivot sleeve 1 on a tilting axis K. The tilting axis K divides the pivot lever into a lever arm 11 projecting from the cartridge, which can be actuated by the user, and into a lever arm 13, which is coupled via an axis connection 15 to a slide plate 17 control disc arrangement 5.

[0020] The control disc arrangement 5 has, according to the Fig. 1 has a control disc 6 arranged stationary in the cartridge housing 2 and a displaceable control disc 8 lying thereon.

[0021] The slide plate 17 forms a one-piece unit together with the movable control disc 8. On the top side of the slide plate 17, according to the Fig. 1 a bearing point 19 constructed from four projections and a link pin 21, which is part of a link guide 23 described later. In the Fig. 1, the axle connection 15 between the lower lever arm 13 and the slide plate 17 is formed, on the one hand, by the bearing point 19 and, on the other hand, by a transversely extending axle pin 25, which, in the assembled position, is arranged between the projections of the bearing point 19. In the assembled position, the axle pin 25 defines a bearing axis L, which is aligned parallel to the tilting axis K.

[0022] A cold water inlet 27 and a hot water inlet 29 are arranged in the stationary control disc 6. A mixed water outlet 31 is also provided, which is connected to the water outlet of the sanitary fitting. Depending on the rotational or pivoting position of the pivot lever 3, the cold water and hot water inlets 27, 29 of the stationary control disc 6 can be brought into different overlaps with a recess 33 (forming the mixing chamber), whereby the temperature and / or quantity of the mixed water can be adjusted. The mixed water outlet 31 formed centrally in the stationary control disc 6 and the two radially outer cold / hot water inlets 27, 29 can be arranged symmetrically with respect to a central plane.

[0023] The temperature of the mixed water is adjusted using the cartridge shown in the figures by rotating the pivot lever 3 around the rotation axis D. When rotated around the rotation axis D, the pivot lever 3, together with the pivot sleeve 1 and the slide plate 17, together with the movable control disc 8, forms a rotationally coupled unit. The quantity of mixed water is adjusted by tilting the pivot lever 3 around the tilt axis K, during which the movable control disc 8 moves in a linear motion via the stationary control disc 6.

[0024] As already mentioned above, a link guide 23 is provided between the slide plate 17 and the swivel sleeve 1. This has the link pin 21 and a link track 35, which according to the Fig. 1 is incorporated on a front side 37 facing the slide plate 17. The slide track 35 is according to the Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 is designed in a curved manner such that, upon a tilting movement of the pivot lever 3 about the tilting axis K, a movement profile is imposed on the displaceable control disc 8, in which the displaceable control disc 8 initially moves with a lateral offset Δy in the direction of the cold water inlet opening 27. The movement profile is aligned at right angles to the above-mentioned linear movement of the adjustable control disc 8.

[0025] Based on the Fig. Figure 3 shows the movement sequence during a tilting movement of the pivot lever 3 from its center position to its maximum opening position. Accordingly, in the center position of the pivot lever 3, the inlet openings 27, 29 of the stationary control disc 6 are covered watertight by the movable control disc 8. During a tilting movement of the pivot lever 3 to a center tilting position, the slotted, adjustable control disc 8 is not only moved linearly, but is also superimposed with the movement profile, whereby the movable control disc 6 is pushed with the lateral offset Δy towards the cold water inlet opening 27, so that the flow path for the cold water is opened. During a further tilting movement to the tilting position with the maximum opening angle, the lateral offset Δy is again used up to zero, as shown in the Fig. 3, right side of the image. In this tilted position, the opening cross-sections for the cold water and the hot water are identical.

[0026] In the Fig. Figure 4 shows the tilting movement of the pivot lever 3, which is in the center rotation position, from the closed position to a center tilt position, in which the movable control slide 8 is deflected by the lateral offset Δy at right angles to the actual linear movement. To compensate for the lateral offset Δy, the axle pin 25 of the pivot lever 3 can be displaced by a bearing clearance ΔI, specifically parallel to the bearing axis L, whereby the movement profile can be smoothly imposed on the movable control disc 8. List of reference symbols 1 swivel sleeve 2 cartridge housings 3 swivel levers 5 Control disc arrangement 6 fixed control disc 7 ring bundle 8 movable control discs 9 Rotation stop 11 upper lever arm 13 lower lever arm 17 Slide plate 15 axle connection 19 storage location 21 cam pins 23 Scenery guide 25 axle journals 27 Cold water inlet opening 29 Hot water inlet opening 31 Mixed water outlet opening 33 Recess 35 slide track 37 lower front side D axis of rotation L bearing axis K Tilt axis

Claims

[1] Single-lever cartridge for a sanitary fitting for adjusting the temperature and / or quantity of mixed water by means of a pivoting lever (3) which is pivoted in a pivoting sleeve (1) pivotally mounted in the cartridge on a tilting axis (K), which divides the pivoting lever (3) into a lever arm (11) projecting from the cartridge and into a lever arm (13) which is connected via an axis connection (15) to a displaceable control disc (8), so that upon a tilting movement of the pivoting lever (3) about the tilting axis (K), the displaceable control disc (8) can be displaced in a linear movement for adjusting the quantity of mixed water, wherein the displaceable control disc (8) is coupled to the pivoting sleeve (1) via a slotted guide (23), with which a movement profile can be imposed on the displaceable control disc (8) upon the tilting movement of the pivoting lever (3), in which the control disc (8) can be displaced with a lateral offset (Δy) at right angles to the linear movement, characterized bythat a bearing axis (L) is defined in the axis connection (15) between the lever arm (13) and the displaceable control disc (8), and that the lateral offset (Δy) of the movement profile is aligned axially parallel to the bearing axis (L), and that a bearing clearance (ΔI) is provided to compensate for the movement profile between the lever arm (13) and the displaceable control disc (8). [2] Single-lever cartridge according to claim 1, characterized by that the link guide (23) has a link pin (21) and a link track (35) cooperating therewith, which are each provided in the displaceable control disc (8) and the pivot sleeve (1). [3] Single-lever cartridge according to claim 2, characterized by that the displaceable control disc (8) has a slide plate (17) on which the pin (21) of the slotted guide (23) and / or the bearing point (19) for the axle connection (15) on the lever arm (13) is formed. [4] Single-lever cartridge according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the movable control disc (8) interacts with a stationary control disc (6) in which inlet openings (27, 29) for cold water and for hot water are provided, which can be brought into different overlap with a recess (33) of the movable control disc (8) connected to the water outlet of the sanitary fitting. [5] Single-lever cartridge according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the pivoting sleeve (1) is mounted in the cartridge housing so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation (D) and the mixed water temperature can be adjusted by a rotary movement of the pivoting lever (3), and / or that the guide track (35) is formed on the end face (37) of the pivoting sleeve (1) facing the slide plate (17). [6] Single-lever cartridge according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the slotted guide (23) is designed in such a way that, when the lever is tilted from a closed position to a tilted position of the adjustable control disc (8), a movement profile with a lateral offset (Δy) can be imposed, with which the flow path for cold water is first released. [7] Single-lever cartridge according to claim 6, characterized by that the link guide (23) is designed in such a way that during a further tilting movement into a tilting position with maximum opening angle, the lateral offset (Δy) is used up again to zero.

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