Mixing valve device

Abstract

To provide a mixing valve device capable of automatically adjusting a hot supply temperature and having less labor for maintenance and temperature adjustment.SOLUTION: A mixing valve device comprises: a casing 4 comprising a hot water inflow port 21, a cold water inflow port 22 and a mixed hot water discharge port 23; a mixing mechanism 5 that sets a mixing ratio of hot water flowing in from the hot water inflow port 21 and cold water flowing in from the cold water inflow port 22 according to a position of a shuttle 51, and introduces the mixed hot water into the discharge port 23; and a control device 3 that controls a position of the shuttle 51. The control device 3 adjusts a hot water supply temperature by controlling a stepping motor 6 to move the shuttle 51 forward and backward based on a setting temperature set by the control device 3 and the hot water supply temperature detected by a temperature sensor 8.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a mixing valve device, and more particularly to a mixing valve that mixes hot water and cold water to produce hot water at a desired temperature. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in bathing facilities such as hotels and inns, the hot water used to fill bathtubs and supply hot water to mixer taps is hot water (mixed hot water) made by mixing high-temperature hot water supplied from a hot water boiler or a spring with unheated water (cold water) supplied from a water supply, etc., using a mixing valve (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] As is well known, a mixing valve is a temperature control valve that mixes hot water and cold water to discharge hot water at a desired temperature, and is configured to adjust the outlet hot water temperature by adjusting the mixing ratio of hot water and cold water (hot water mixing ratio). The mixing valve is equipped with a temperature control lever that works in conjunction with a valve body that sets the mixing ratio of hot water and cold water, and workers at the bath facility adjust the outlet hot water temperature by manually operating this temperature control lever.

[0004] There are also mixing valves that automatically adjust the temperature of the hot water that comes out. This type of mixing valve is equipped with a thermostatic mechanism for temperature control inside the valve. Known types of thermostatic mechanisms are the bimetal type, which uses the linear expansion ratio of two types of metal to control the valve body, and the wax type, which uses the thermal expansion of wax to control the valve body. These thermostatic mechanisms set the mixing ratio of hot and cold water. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-141148 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, conventional mixing valves have the following problems. (1) In Japan, due to geographical factors, the temperature difference between day and night is large, so the temperature of the cold water (water temperature) supplied to the mixing valve varies greatly throughout the year. For this reason, in facilities such as hot spring baths, where it is required to keep the outlet water temperature roughly constant throughout the year, the temperature adjustment lever of the mixing valve must be operated according to changes in the water temperature. In other words, in winter, when the water temperature is low, the mixing ratio of hot water must be increased, and in summer, when the water temperature is high, the mixing ratio of hot water must be decreased. This means that adjusting the outlet water temperature requires a lot of effort from the workers, resulting in a large workload.

[0007] (2) On the other hand, in the case of mixing valves that automatically adjust the outlet hot water temperature, the workload involved in adjusting the outlet hot water temperature is reduced. However, this type of mixing valve has a complex internal structure because it is equipped with a thermostat mechanism inside the valve, and scale and limescale are likely to accumulate inside the valve. For this reason, with this type of mixing valve, maintenance work to remove scale and other deposits that have accumulated inside the valve must be performed periodically (for example, once a month), which increases the workload involved in the maintenance and raises running costs.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and its object is to provide a mixing valve device that can automatically adjust the outlet hot water temperature and requires little maintenance and temperature adjustment effort. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the mixing valve device of the present invention comprises a casing having a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, and a mixed hot water outlet, a mixing mechanism interposed between the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet for setting the mixing ratio of the hot water flowing in from the hot water inlet and the cold water flowing in from the cold water inlet depending on the position of a shuttle and introducing the mixed hot water into the outlet, and a control unit for controlling the position of the shuttle of the mixing mechanism, wherein the mixing mechanism has an electric motor for moving the shuttle forward and backward, and the control unit has a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of hot water outlet from the outlet, and controls the electric motor to adjust the position of the shuttle based on a set temperature and the hot water outlet temperature.

[0010] In this invention, the mixing mechanism that mixes hot and cold water sets the mixing ratio of hot and cold water according to the position of the shuttle, which is position-controlled by the control unit, so the outlet water temperature can be adjusted automatically. Also, since the automation of temperature adjustment does not require a thermo mechanism like that of conventional mixing valves, the internal structure of the mixing valve is simplified, and a mixing valve with a structure that is less susceptible to the adhesion of scale and limescale can be provided.

[0011] The present invention has the following configuration as a preferred embodiment. (1) The hot water inlet and the cold water inlet are arranged opposite each other with a mixing space therebetween, and the discharge outlet is arranged facing the mixing space in a direction perpendicular to the hot water inlet and the mixing mechanism has a flow path separator having a hot water flow path connected to the hot water inlet and having a hot water inlet for introducing hot water flowing in from the hot water inlet into the mixing space from either one end side of the mixing space in the vertical direction, and a cold water flow path connected to the cold water inlet and having a cold water inlet for introducing cold water flowing in from the cold water inlet into the mixing space from the other end side of the mixing space in the vertical direction, and is characterized in that the shuttle is configured to adjust the opening degrees of the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet.

[0012] In this invention, a hot water inlet for introducing hot water into the mixing space where hot water and cold water are mixed, and a cold water inlet for introducing cold water into the mixing space are arranged separately at one end and the other end in the vertical direction, and the opening degree of these hot water inlet and cold water inlet is adjusted by moving the shuttle forward and backward. Therefore, the mixing ratio of hot water to cold water can be adjusted arbitrarily from 0:10 to 10:0 depending on the position of the shuttle.

[0013] (2) The casing, the flow path separator and the shuttle are made of a corrosion-resistant resin.

[0014] In this invention, since the casing, flow path separator and shuttle are made of corrosion-resistant resin, it is possible to provide a mixing valve suitable for use in hot spring facilities that use a hot spring as a hot water source.

[0015] (3) A straightening member for straightening the flow of the mixed hot water introduced into the outlet is interposed between the mixing mechanism and the outlet.

[0016] In this invention, a straightening member that straightens the water flow is disposed between the mixing space and the discharge port, so that the mixed hot water mixed in the mixing space passes through the straightening member and is introduced into the discharge port. Therefore, mixed hot water with little temperature unevenness can be discharged.

[0017] (4) The electric motor is a stepping motor. In a preferred embodiment, the stepping motor is mounted on the casing via a resin motor mounting fixture.

[0018] In this invention, a stepping motor capable of performing accurate positioning control is used as the motor for moving the shuttle forward and backward, so the temperature of the hot water to be dispensed can be adjusted accurately and stable hot water can be dispensed. Also, because the stepping motor is attached to the casing, the entire device can be constructed compactly.

[0019] (5) The control unit is characterized by having an interface that can be connected to a higher-level computer system.

[0020] In this invention, the control unit is provided with an interface with a higher-level computer system. For example, by connecting the control unit to a computer system that manages the mixing valve device via the interface, it is possible to input the set temperature of the mixing valve device from a remote location or to notify the management computer system of an abnormality in the mixing valve device. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, the outlet hot water temperature is automatically adjusted through the control of the shuttle position by the control unit, eliminating the need to manually adjust the outlet hot water temperature, and a mixing valve device can be provided that requires little effort in terms of temperature adjustment.

[0022] In addition, since it does not have a thermo mechanism like conventional mixing valves, the internal structure of the mixing valve is simpler, making it less susceptible to the buildup of scale and limescale, and providing a mixing valve device that requires less maintenance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a mixing valve device according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a device main body in the mixing valve device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a device main body in the mixing valve device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a control device in the mixing valve device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, substantially the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0025] The mixing valve device 1 according to the present invention is a valve device that mixes hot water and cold water (cold water) to generate hot water (mixed hot water) at a desired temperature, and is suitably used, for example, to generate hot water to be used for filling a bathtub in a hot bath facility, to supply hot water to a mixing faucet, or to fill a hot water pool, etc. In other words, the mixing valve device 1 according to the present invention is mainly used for commercial purposes to generate large amounts of hot water.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, this mixing valve device 1 includes, as its main components, a device main body 2 having a function as a hot water regulating valve, and a control device 3 for controlling the device main body 2.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the device main body 2 includes a casing 4, a mixing mechanism 5 housed in the casing 4, and an electric motor 6 that drives the mixing mechanism 5.

[0028] The casing 4 is an enclosure for the device main body 2, and is composed of a case main body 41 and a cover body 42 for the case main body 41.

[0029] The case body 41 has a generally cylindrical shape with an open top, and a mixing space A (see FIG. 3) in which hot water and cold water are mixed is formed inside, and a mixing mechanism 5 is housed within the mixing space A.

[0030] The case body 41 is provided with a hot water inlet 21 for connecting a hot water pipe (not shown) to which hot water is supplied from a hot water source such as a hot water boiler or a spring, a cold water inlet 22 for connecting a cold water pipe (not shown) to which cold water is supplied from a water source such as a water supply, and a discharge port 23 for connecting a hot water outlet pipe 10 equipped with a hot water tap (not shown) such as a mixer tap at its tip. In this embodiment, the hot water inlet 21 and the cold water inlet 22 are arranged on the side wall of the case body 41 facing each other with the mixing space A between them. On the other hand, the discharge port 23 is provided on the bottom of the case body 41 facing the mixing space A in a direction perpendicular to the axis connecting the hot water inlet 21 and the cold water inlet 22.

[0031] The lid 42 is a member that closes the opening at the top of the case body 41, and is detachably fixed to the upper end of the case body 41 by a plurality of mounting screws 43, 43, .... An O-ring 44 is interposed between the lid 42 and the case body 41 to ensure watertightness, and the opening of the case body 41 is sealed by this lid 42.

[0032] The mixing mechanism 5 is a mechanism for mixing hot water and cold water, and is mainly composed of a shuttle 51, a connecting shaft 52, and a flow path separator 53. The mixing mechanism 5 made up of these members is interposed between the hot water inlet 21 and the cold water inlet 22, and is configured to adjust and set the mixing ratio of the hot water flowing in from the hot water inlet 21 and the cold water flowing in from the cold water inlet 22 according to the position of the shuttle 51.

[0033] 2 and 3, the shuttle 51 is configured as a substantially cylindrical member having an annular outer circumferential surface 51a that can be fitted to the flow path separator 53. A screw hole 51b is provided inside the shuttle 51 so as to penetrate in the vertical direction, and the tip of the connecting shaft 52 is screwed into this screw hole 51b.

[0034] The connecting shaft 52 is a generally rod-shaped member that connects the shuttle 51 and the electric motor 6, with its tip side screwed into the screw hole 51b of the shuttle 51 and its base end penetrating the cover 42 and engaging with the tip of the motor shaft 61. As will be described later, the motor shaft 61 moves forward and backward in the axial direction (the up and down direction in FIG. 3) as it rotates. Therefore, the connecting shaft 52 moves forward and backward in the axial direction in conjunction with the axial movement of the motor shaft 61.

[0035] In relation to this, a through hole 42a for inserting the connecting shaft 52 is formed in the cover 42. Meanwhile, the connecting shaft 52 is provided with O-rings 54, 54 that come into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 42a, and these O-rings 54, 54 ensure watertightness when the connecting shaft 52 moves forward and backward.

[0036] The flow path separator 53 is a member for setting dedicated flow paths for the hot water introduced into the casing 4 from the hot water inlet 21 and the cold water introduced into the casing 4 from the cold water inlet 22, and introducing the hot water into the mixing space A. Specifically, the flow path separator 53 is provided with a hot water flow path H that communicates with the hot water inlet 21 and has a hot water inlet 55 for introducing the hot water flowing in from the hot water inlet 21 into the mixing space A from one end (the upper end in the illustrated example) in the vertical direction of the mixing space A, and a cold water flow path C that communicates with the cold water inlet 22 and has a cold water inlet 56 for introducing the cold water flowing in from the cold water inlet 22 into the mixing space A from the other end (the lower end in the illustrated example) in the vertical direction of the mixing space A.

[0037] In this embodiment, the flow path separator 53 is formed of a member having a substantially cylindrical shape, and a rib 57 forming the hot water flow path H and a rib 58 forming the cold water flow path C are provided on its outer circumferential surface, and a hot water inlet 55 and a cold water inlet 56 are formed by cutting out parts of the peripheral wall of the flow path separator 53 corresponding to the tip side (the side communicating with the mixing space A) of each of the flow paths H and C in the axial direction. Note that grooves 57a and 58a are formed on the outer circumferential end surfaces of the ribs 57 and 58, and a sealant (not shown) is disposed in the grooves 57a and 58a, and the sealant makes the contact portion between the case body 41 and the flow path separator 53 watertight.

[0038] Moreover, an annular inner peripheral surface 53a is formed on the inside of the flow path separator 53, and the above-mentioned shuttle 51 is fitted to this inner peripheral surface 53a. Then, O-rings 59, 59 are provided on the inner peripheral surface 53a of the flow path separator 53, and these O-rings 59, 59 ensure watertightness between the shuttle 51 and the flow path separator 53 when the shuttle 51 moves forward and backward.

[0039] In the mixing valve device 1 shown in this embodiment, when the mixing mechanism 5 is installed in the casing 4, a straightening member 7 that straightens the water flow of the mixed hot water introduced into the outlet 23 is interposed between the mixing mechanism 5 and the outlet 23. In the illustrated example, three straightening plates 71 to 73, namely, first to third straightening plates, are stacked as the straightening member 7. Specifically, straightening plates with different diameters of the central opening are adopted as the first and second straightening plates 71 and 72, and the straightening plate 72 with a larger diameter is disposed on the downstream side. In addition, a straightening plate having a plurality of slit-shaped openings radially disposed therein is adopted as the third straightening plate 73. By arranging the plurality of straightening plates 71 to 73 in this manner, the water flow of the mixed hot water introduced from the mixing mechanism 5 to the outlet 23 is straightened, and thus the temperature unevenness of the mixed hot water discharged from the outlet 23 can be reduced.

[0040] The straightening member 7 can be appropriately modified. For example, the number of the straightening plates 71 to 73 and the shape of the openings can be modified according to the shape of the space formed between the mixing space A and the discharge port 23, and further, the straightening member 7 can be omitted.

[0041] In the mixing mechanism 5 thus configured, the shuttle 51 moves forward and backward in conjunction with the forward and backward movement (up and down movement in FIG. 3) of the connecting shaft 52. As the shuttle 51 moves forward, the opening degree of the hot water inlet 55 increases accordingly, while the opening degree of the cold water inlet 56 decreases (the hot water mixing ratio increases), and when the shuttle 51 reaches the bottom end (when it reaches the lower limit position where it abuts against the flow straightening member 7), the hot water inlet 55 is fully open and the cold water inlet 56 is fully closed (i.e., the hot water mixing ratio becomes 100%).

[0042] Conversely, when the shuttle 51 moves backward, the opening of the cold water inlet 56 increases while the opening of the hot water inlet 55 decreases (the mixing ratio of cold water increases), and when the shuttle 51 reaches the upper end (the upper limit position where it abuts against the lid 42), the cold water inlet 56 is fully open and the hot water inlet 55 is fully closed (i.e., the mixing ratio of cold water becomes 100%). In this way, in the mixing valve device 1 shown in this embodiment, the openings of the hot water inlet 55 and the cold water inlet 56 are adjusted in conjunction with each other depending on the position of the shuttle 51, so that the mixing ratio of hot water to cold water can be adjusted arbitrarily between 0:10 and 10:0.

[0043] In the mixing valve device 1 shown in this embodiment, at least the casing 4, the flow path separator 53, and the shuttle 51 (preferably including the connecting shaft 52) ​​are made of a resin that is heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant (for example, a synthetic resin such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), or polypropylene (PP)). This makes it possible to suppress deterioration of the valve due to corrosion even in facilities that use a hot spring as a hot water source, for example, and to provide a mixing valve device 1 that is suitable for use in hot spring facilities and the like.

[0044] The electric motor 6 is a power source that moves the shuttle 51 of the mixing mechanism 5 forward and backward, and in this embodiment, a stepping motor is used as the electric motor 6. The illustrated electric motor 6 is configured so that the motor shaft 61 rotates in response to a pulse signal provided by the control device 3, and the motor shaft 61 moves forward and backward in response to the forward and reverse rotation direction of the motor shaft 61. Therefore, the control device 3 can control the position of the shuttle 51 connected to the motor shaft 61 through control of the stepping motor.

[0045] This electric motor 6 is removably fixed onto a resin motor mount (motor mounting fixture) 62 using mounting screws 63, 63, ..., and the motor mount 62 is removably attached onto the cover 42 of the casing 4 using mounting screws 64, 64, ....

[0046] Here, in Fig. 3, reference numeral 8 denotes a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor 8 is a sensor that detects the temperature of hot water outlet from the discharge port 23 of the mixing valve device 1, and in this embodiment, it is provided near the discharge port 23 of the mixing valve device 1 (in the illustrated example, at the upstream end of the hot water outlet pipe 10). A detection signal from this temperature sensor 8 is input to the control device 3 via a signal line L2. The control device 3 calculates the hot water outlet temperature from the detection signal input via the signal line L2. Note that, although the present embodiment shows a case in which the temperature sensor 8 is provided outside the case body 41, the temperature sensor 8 may be provided inside the case body 41.

[0047] Reference numeral 9 denotes an on-off valve configured to be able to cut off the flow path of the hot water outlet pipe 10. In this embodiment, an electromagnetic on-off valve that can be remotely controlled from the control device 3 is used as the on-off valve 9. L3 denotes a control line connecting the on-off valve 9 and the control device 3, and the control device 3 that opens and closes the on-off valve 9 is provided to the on-off valve 9 via this control line L3.

[0048] The control device 3 is a device for controlling the device main body 2. In this embodiment, the control device 3 also functions as an operating device for the mixing valve device 1, and is therefore housed in a housing (not shown) separate from the device main body 2. An operator uses the control device 3 to perform various operations such as setting the temperature (outlet hot water temperature) of the mixed hot water discharged from the mixing valve device 1 (details will be described later).

[0049] 4, the control device 3 includes a display unit 31, an operation unit 32, a control unit 33, and a driver circuit unit 34 for the electric motor 6. In addition to these, in this embodiment, the control device 3 also includes a drive circuit unit 35 for the on-off valve 9 and an interface unit 36.

[0050] The display unit 31 is a display means for displaying various information such as the set temperature and the outlet hot water temperature, and may be, for example, a liquid crystal panel capable of displaying characters and figures. The operation unit 32 is an operation means for switching the mixing valve device 1 on and off and inputting the set temperature, and may be, for example, a push button switch to which a predetermined function is assigned. The operation unit 32 may be a touch screen that also serves as the display unit 31.

[0051] The control unit 33 is a control means for the mixing valve device 1, and is equipped with a control microcomputer. The microcomputer stores various programs, such as a control program for controlling the electric motor 6 based on the set temperature and the outlet hot water temperature, and a program for controlling the display of the display unit 31, and various processes described below, such as position control of the shuttle 51, are executed based on these programs.

[0052] The driver circuit unit 34 is a drive circuit for the stepping motor that constitutes the electric motor 6, and generates a drive signal (pulse signal) for the stepping motor based on a control signal provided from the control unit 33. The drive signal for the stepping motor generated by the driver circuit unit 34 is input to the stepping motor through a control line L1.

[0053] The drive circuit unit 35 of the on-off valve 9 is a circuit for operating the on-off valve 9, and generates a drive signal for the on-off valve 9 based on a control signal provided from the control unit 33. The drive signal for the on-off valve 9 generated by the drive circuit unit 35 is input to the on-off valve 9 through a control line L3.

[0054] The interface unit 36 ​​is an interface for connecting the control unit 33 to a higher-level computer system (not shown, for example, a computer system for managing the mixing valve device 1), and in this embodiment, an interface conforming to RS-485 is used, and the control unit 33 can be connected to the higher-level computer system via this interface. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to input a set temperature from the higher-level computer system, and to transmit error information detected by the control unit 33 to the higher-level computer system, and to manage the error information in the higher-level computer system.

[0055] Next, adjustment of the outlet hot water temperature using the mixing valve device 1 configured as above will be described.

[0056] When using the mixing valve device 1, first, a switch operation is performed in the control device 3 to start "operation."

[0057] As a result, the control unit 33 of the control device 3 transitions from the standby state to the operation mode. Once in operation mode, control unit 33 calculates the outlet hot water temperature from the detection signal from temperature sensor 8, and compares the calculated outlet hot water temperature with the set temperature. If the set temperature is greater than the outlet hot water temperature, control is performed to lower the position of shuttle 51 (increase the hot water mixing ratio) through control of motor 6, thereby raising the outlet hot water temperature. On the other hand, if the set temperature is less than the outlet hot water temperature, the opposite is true: control is performed to raise the position of shuttle 51 through control of motor 6 (increase the cold water mixing ratio), thereby lowering the outlet hot water temperature. In other words, based on the set temperature and the outlet hot water temperature, control unit 33 controls motor 6 to adjust the position of shuttle 51 so that the outlet hot water temperature becomes the set temperature.

[0058] In this way, in the mixing valve device 1 of the present invention, hot water is dispensed while the control unit 33 changes the mixing ratio of hot water and cold water through position control of the shuttle 51 according to the results of comparing the set temperature with the outlet hot water temperature, that is, the outlet hot water temperature is adjusted automatically by the control device 3. This eliminates the need to manually adjust the outlet hot water temperature, significantly reducing the labor required by workers to adjust the temperature.

[0059] Furthermore, since the mixing valve device 1 according to the present invention does not use a thermo mechanism as in conventional mixing valves, the internal structure of the device is simple and scale and limescale are less likely to adhere to it. As a result, for example, the work cycle for maintenance work such as disassembly and cleaning can be set longer than before, making it possible to provide a mixing valve device with less maintenance burden and low running costs.

[0060] In addition, since the mixing valve device 1 shown in this embodiment uses a servo motor as the electric motor 6 that drives the shuttle 51, for example, when the control unit 33 first switches to the operation mode, the control unit 33 moves the shuttle 51 back and forth to its maximum extent in order to confirm the upper and lower limit positions to which the shuttle 51 can be moved. Therefore, according to the mixing valve device 1 shown in this embodiment, the operation of the shuttle 51 removes scale and water stains that have adhered to the shuttle 51, the connecting shaft 52, etc., and in this respect as well, the adhesion of scale and water stains can be suppressed.

[0061] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these, and various design modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0062] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the hot water flow path H and the cold water flow path C for introducing hot water and cold water into the mixing space A are formed by the ribs 57, 58 provided on the outer periphery of the flow path separator 53. However, the hot water flow path H and the cold water flow path C may have other structures without being limited to those of the above-described embodiment, as long as they are structured to guide hot water and cold water to the mixing space A through different flow paths.

[0063] In the above embodiment, an interface conforming to RS-485 is used as the interface unit 36, but a network interface connectable to a WAN (Wide Area Network) such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet can also be used as the interface unit 36. By using an interface compatible with a computer network as the interface unit 36 ​​in this way, it becomes possible to communicatively connect the control unit 33 to a computer system (such as a computer system that provides maintenance services for the mixing valve device 1) located outside the facility where the mixing valve device 1 is installed, and it becomes possible to perform remote operation from outside the facility and management of error information outside the facility. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1 Mixing valve device 2. Device body 3. Control device 4 Casing 5 Mixing mechanism 6 Electric motor 7 Straightening members 21 Hot water inlet 22 Cold water inlet 23 Mixed hot water outlet 31 Display section 32 Operation section 33 Control Unit 34 Motor driver circuit section 36 Interface section 41 Case body 42 Lid 51 Shuttle 52 Connecting shaft 53 Flow Path Separator 55 Hot water inlet 56 Cold water inlet 57,58 Ribs 61 Motor shaft 71~73 Rectifier plate A Mixing Space H Hot water flow path C Cold water flow path

Claims

1. A casing having a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, and a mixed hot water outlet; a mixing mechanism that is interposed between the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet, and that sets a mixing ratio of the hot water flowing in from the hot water inlet and the cold water flowing in from the cold water inlet according to a position of the shuttle and introduces the mixed hot water into the discharge outlet; a control unit for controlling a position of the shuttle, The mixing mechanism has an electric motor that moves the shuttle forward and backward, The control unit includes a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of hot water discharged from the outlet, and controls the electric motor based on a set temperature and the hot water temperature to adjust the position of the shuttle. A mixing valve device comprising:

2. The hot water inlet and the cold water inlet are disposed opposite each other with a mixing space therebetween, and the discharge port is disposed facing the mixing space in a direction perpendicular to the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet, The mixing mechanism has a flow path separator including a hot water flow path communicating with the hot water inlet and including a hot water inlet for introducing the hot water flowing in from the hot water inlet into the mixing space from one end side in the vertical direction of the mixing space, and a cold water flow path communicating with the cold water inlet and including a cold water inlet for introducing the cold water flowing in from the cold water inlet into the mixing space from the other end side in the vertical direction of the mixing space, and is configured such that opening degrees of the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet are adjusted by the shuttle.

2. The mixing valve device according to claim 1 .

3. The casing, the flow path separator and the shuttle are made of a corrosion-resistant resin.

3. The mixing valve device according to claim 2, wherein the mixing valve device is a valve that is connected to the mixing valve.

4. A straightening member for straightening the flow of the mixed hot water introduced into the outlet is interposed between the mixing mechanism and the outlet.

3. The mixing valve device according to claim 2, wherein the mixing valve device is a valve that is connected to the mixing means.

5. The electric motor is a stepping motor.

5. The mixing valve device according to claim 1, wherein the mixing valve device is a valve that is connected to the mixing valve.

6. The stepping motor is mounted on the casing via a plastic motor mounting fixture.

6. The mixing valve device according to claim 5,

7. The control unit is provided with an interface that can be connected to a higher-level computer system.

5. The mixing valve device according to claim 1, wherein the mixing valve device is a valve that is connected to the mixing valve.

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