Mixing valve device

The mixing valve device automates temperature adjustment and resists scale buildup, addressing manual effort and maintenance challenges in hot spring facilities by using a control unit and shuttle mechanism, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing costs.

JP7730570B2Active Publication Date: 2025-08-28DAILEO CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023106863
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-06-29
Publication Date
2025-08-28
Estimated Expiration
2043-06-29

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional mixing valves in hot spring facilities face significant workload due to seasonal temperature fluctuations requiring manual adjustment, and those with thermostats suffer from scale buildup necessitating frequent maintenance.

Method used

A mixing valve device with a simplified structure that automatically adjusts outlet hot water temperature using a control unit, electric motor, and shuttle mechanism, minimizing manual effort and scale buildup, featuring a corrosion-resistant design and interface for computer connectivity.

Benefits of technology

Automated temperature adjustment reduces labor requirements and maintenance frequency, while resisting scale and limescale buildup, ensuring stable hot water delivery with reduced operational costs.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Patent Text Reader

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
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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 hot spring 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) that is 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 is linked to a valve body that sets the mixing ratio of hot water and cold water, and workers at the hot spring 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 being dispensed. This type of mixing valve has a thermostat inside the valve to regulate the temperature. Known thermostats include the bimetal type, which controls the valve element using the linear expansion ratio of two types of metal, and the wax type, which controls the valve element using the thermal expansion of wax. These thermostats set the mixing ratio of hot and cold water. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-141148 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, conventional mixing valves have the following problems. (1) Due to geographical factors, Japan has large annual temperature differences, so the temperature of the cold water (water temperature) supplied to the mixing valve fluctuates significantly throughout the year. For example, in facilities such as hot springs where it is required to maintain a constant outlet water temperature throughout the year, the temperature adjustment lever of the mixing valve must be operated in accordance with changes in water temperature. In other words, in winter when the water temperature drops, the mixing ratio of hot water must be increased, and in summer when the water temperature rises, the mixing ratio of hot water must be decreased. This requires a lot of effort on the part of workers to adjust the outlet water temperature, resulting in a heavy workload.

[0007] (2) On the other hand, mixing valves that automatically adjust the outlet hot water temperature reduce the workload involved in adjusting the outlet hot water temperature. However, this type of mixing valve has a complex internal structure due to the inclusion of a thermostat inside the valve, making it prone to scale and limescale buildup inside the valve. As a result, this type of mixing valve requires periodic maintenance (for example, once a month) to remove scale and other buildup from the inside of the valve, which increases the workload involved in maintenance and raises running costs.

[0008] The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose 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 object, the mixing valve device according to the present invention includes a casing having a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, and a mixed hot water outlet, and is interposed between the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet, Mating with flow separatora mixing mechanism that sets a mixing ratio of hot water flowing in from the hot water inlet and 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; and a control unit that controls the position of the shuttle, wherein the mixing mechanism has an electric motor that moves the shuttle forward and backward; the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet are arranged opposite each other with a mixing space therebetween, and the discharge port is arranged facing the mixing space in a direction perpendicular to the hot water inlet and the discharge port, the mixing mechanism is installed in the casing and has a structure in which the flow path separator has: a hot water flow path that communicates with the hot water inlet and has a hot water inlet that introduces 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 that communicates with the cold water inlet and has a cold water inlet that introduces 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, thereby setting dedicated flow paths for the hot water and the cold water, and the shuttle adjusts opening degrees of the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet, The control unit is characterized by including a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of hot water coming out of the outlet, and controlling the electric motor based on a set temperature and the hot water coming out temperature to adjust the position of the shuttle.

[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 controlled by the control unit, so the outlet water temperature can be adjusted automatically.In addition, since the automation of temperature adjustment does not require a thermomechanism like in conventional mixing valves, the internal structure of the mixing valve is simplified, making it possible to provide a mixing valve with a structure that is less susceptible to the buildup of scale and limescale.

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

[0013] The present invention has the following configuration as a preferred embodiment. ( 1 ) The casing, the flow path separator, and the shuttle are made of a corrosion-resistant resin.

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

[0015] ( 2 ) A flow 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 placed between the mixing space and the discharge port, so the mixed hot water mixed in the mixing space passes through this straightening member and is introduced into the discharge port, allowing the mixed hot water to be discharged with little temperature unevenness.

[0017] ( 3 ) The electric motor is a stepping motor. In a preferred embodiment, the stepping motor is mounted on the casing via a motor mounting fixture made of resin.

[0018] In this invention, a stepping motor capable of precise positioning control is used as the electric motor that moves the shuttle forward and backward, so the temperature of the hot water dispensed can be adjusted accurately and stable hot water can be dispensed.In addition, since the stepping motor is mounted on the casing, the entire device can be configured compactly.

[0019] ( 4 ) 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 any abnormalities in the mixing valve device. [Effects 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, so there is no need to manually adjust the outlet hot water temperature, and a mixing valve device can be provided that requires little effort in temperature adjustment.

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

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

[0024] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, substantially identical 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 to produce hot water (mixed hot water) at a desired temperature, and is suitable for use, for example, in filling bathtubs in hot spring facilities, supplying hot water to mixer faucets, or producing hot water to fill heated swimming pools, etc. In other words, the mixing valve device 1 according to the present invention is primarily used for commercial purposes to produce large amounts of hot water.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, this mixing valve device 1 includes, as its main parts, a device main body 2 having the function of a hot water regulating valve, and a control device 3 that controls 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 a housing for the device main body 2 and is composed of a case main body 41 and a lid body 42 for the case main body 41.

[0029] The case body 41 has an approximately cylindrical shape with an open top, and a mixing space A (see Figure 3) is formed inside where hot water and cold water are mixed, 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 outlet 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 opposite sides of the side wall of the case body 41, with the mixing space A between them. Meanwhile, the discharge outlet 23 is provided on the bottom of the case body 41, facing the mixing space A and oriented 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 with 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, which is made up of these components, is interposed between the hot water inlet 21 and the cold water inlet 22, and is configured to adjust and set the mixing ratio between 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 peripheral 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 end threaded into the threaded 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 (up and down 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 is formed in the cover 42 for inserting the connecting shaft 52. Meanwhile, the connecting shaft 52 is provided with O-rings 54, 54 that come into contact with the inner circumferential 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 that introduces 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 that introduces 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 substantially cylindrical member, and is provided on its outer peripheral surface with ribs 57 that form the hot water flow path H and ribs 58 that form the cold water flow path C. Furthermore, a hot water inlet 55 and a cold water inlet 56 are formed by cutting out portions of the peripheral wall of the flow path separator 53 that are located on the tip side (the side communicating with the mixing space A) of each of the flow paths H and C in the axial direction. Grooves 57a and 58a are formed on the outer peripheral end surfaces of the ribs 57 and 58, and sealants (not shown) are disposed in the grooves 57a and 58a. The sealants ensure watertightness at the contact portions between the case body 41 and the flow path separator 53.

[0038] An annular inner peripheral surface 53a is formed inside the flow path separator 53, and the above-mentioned shuttle 51 is fitted to this inner peripheral surface 53a. 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] Furthermore, in the mixing valve device 1 shown in this embodiment, when the mixing mechanism 5 is installed inside the casing 4, a rectifying member 7 is interposed between the mixing mechanism 5 and the discharge port 23 to rectify the flow of the mixed hot water introduced into the discharge port 23. In the illustrated example, the rectifying member 7 is made up of three stacked rectifying plates (first to third rectifying plates 71-73). Specifically, the first and second rectifying plates 71, 72 are rectifying plates with different diameters of their central openings, with the rectifying plate 72 with a larger diameter being disposed downstream. The third rectifying plate 73 is a rectifying plate with multiple slit-shaped openings arranged radially. By arranging the multiple rectifying plates 71-73 in this manner, the flow of the mixed hot water introduced from the mixing mechanism 5 to the discharge port 23 is rectified, thereby reducing temperature unevenness in the mixed hot water discharged from the discharge port 23.

[0040] The rectifying member 7 can be modified as needed. For example, the number of rectifying 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 the rectifying member 7 can also be omitted.

[0041] In the mixing mechanism 5 configured as described above, 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 of the hot water inlet 55 increases, while the opening of the cold water inlet 56 decreases (the hot water mixture ratio increases), and when the shuttle 51 reaches the bottom end (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 (that is, the hot water mixture ratio becomes 100%).

[0042] Conversely, as shuttle 51 moves backward, the opening of cold water inlet 56 increases while the opening of hot water inlet 55 decreases (the mixing ratio of cold water increases), and when shuttle 51 reaches the upper end (the upper limit position where it abuts against lid 42), cold water inlet 56 is fully open and 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 hot water inlet 55 and cold water inlet 56 are adjusted in conjunction with each other depending on the position of 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, flow path separator 53, and 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 hot springs as a hot water source, and provides 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 pulse signals 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 by controlling 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] 3, the 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 piping 10). The detection signal of this temperature sensor 8 is input to the control device 3 via signal line L2. The control device 3 calculates the hot water outlet temperature from the detection signal input via signal line L2. Note that, although the present embodiment shows a case where the temperature sensor 8 is provided outside the case main body 41, the temperature sensor 8 may also be provided inside the case main body 41.

[0047] Further, 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 also be a touch screen that doubles as the display unit 31.

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

[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 given 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 given 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, which can then manage the error information.

[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 operating mode. Once in operation mode, control unit 33 calculates the outlet hot water temperature from the detection signal of 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, control is performed in the opposite manner to the above, to raise the position of shuttle 51 (increase the cold water mixing ratio) through control of motor 6, thereby lowering the outlet hot water temperature. In other words, control unit 33 controls motor 6 to adjust the position of shuttle 51 based on the set temperature and outlet hot water temperature so that the outlet hot water temperature becomes the set temperature.

[0058] In this way, with the mixing valve device 1 according to the present invention, hot water is dispensed while the control unit 33 changes the mixing ratio of hot and cold water by controlling the position of the shuttle 51 in accordance with the comparison result between the set temperature and the outlet hot water temperature, i.e., the outlet hot water temperature is adjusted automatically by the control device 3. This eliminates the need for manual adjustment of the outlet hot water temperature, significantly reducing the labor required by workers to adjust the temperature.

[0059] Furthermore, the mixing valve device 1 according to the present invention does not use a thermostatic mechanism like conventional mixing valves, so the internal structure of the device is simple and it is less susceptible to the buildup of scale and limescale. As a result, for example, the cycles 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] Note that the mixing valve device 1 shown in this embodiment uses a servo motor as the electric motor 6 that drives the shuttle 51, and therefore, 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, such operation of the shuttle 51 removes scale and limescale that has adhered to the shuttle 51, the connecting shaft 52, etc., and in this respect too, the adhesion of scale and limescale can be suppressed.

[0061] 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, but the hot water flow path H and the cold water flow path C are not limited to the structure of the above-described embodiment and may have other structures as long as they are configured to guide hot water and cold water into the mixing space A through different flow paths.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an interface conforming to RS-485 is used as the interface unit 36, but it is also possible to use a network interface connectable to a WAN (Wide Area Network) such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet as the interface unit 36. In this way, by using an interface compatible with a computer network as the interface unit 36, it becomes possible to communicatively connect the control unit 33 to, for example, 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, thereby enabling 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 member 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 interposed between the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet, for adjusting 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 in accordance with a position of a shuttle mated with a flow path separator, and for introducing the mixed hot water into the discharge port; a control unit for controlling the position of the shuttle, The mixing mechanism has an electric motor that moves the shuttle forward and backward, the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet are arranged opposite each other with a mixing space therebetween, and the discharge port is arranged facing the mixing space in a direction perpendicular to the hot water inlet and cold water inlet, the mixing mechanism is provided in the casing and includes a flow path separator having a hot water flow path communicating with the hot water inlet and including a hot water inlet that introduces the hot water flowing in from the hot water inlet into the mixing space from one end 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 that introduces the cold water flowing in from the cold water inlet into the mixing space from the other end in the vertical direction of the mixing space, the flow path separator defining dedicated flow paths for the hot water and the cold water, and a structure in which openings of the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet are adjusted by the shuttle, The control unit includes a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of hot water coming out of the outlet, and controls the motor based on a set temperature and the hot water temperature to adjust the position of the shuttle. A mixing valve device characterized by:

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

2. The mixing valve device according to claim 1, wherein the mixing valve device is a valve for supplying a fluid to the mixing valve.

3. A flow straightening member that straightens the flow of mixed hot water introduced into the outlet is interposed between the mixing mechanism and the outlet.

2. The mixing valve device according to claim 1, wherein the mixing valve device is a valve for supplying a fluid to the mixing valve.

4. The electric motor is a stepping motor.

4. The mixing valve device according to claim 1, wherein the mixing valve device is a valve for supplying a fuel to the mixing valve.

5. The stepping motor is mounted on the casing via a motor mounting fixture made of resin.

5. The mixing valve device according to claim 4, wherein the mixing valve device is a valve for supplying a fluid to the mixing valve.

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

4. The mixing valve device according to claim 1, wherein the mixing valve device is a valve for supplying a fuel to the mixing valve.

Citation Information

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