Hot and cold water mixing valve

Abstract

To provide a hot-and-cold-water mixing valve that can simply facilitate maintaining of stably operability with lapse of time.SOLUTION: A hot-and-cold-water mixing valve 10 has a generally cylindrical housing 11, a moving valve body 12 disposed in the housing 11, a temperature sensitive spring 13, a bias spring 14, a slider 15, a spindle 16, and a ratchet mechanism portion 20 disposed outside the housing 11. The ratchet mechanism portion 20 has a first ring member 21 that is attached to the spindle 16 and has an outer diameter generally the same as the housing 11, and has a first gear 21b at a diametrical outside annular portion on a surface opposing to a left wall 11a of the housing 11, and a second ring member 22 that cannot rotate with respect to the left wall 11g, can slide in a direction of a cylinder shaft CA, is attached to the first ring member 21 in an energized state, and has an outer diameter being generally the same as the housing 11, and is formed with a second gear 22b capable of being fitted with the first gear 21b on a surface opposing to the first ring member 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hot and cold water mixing valve in a hot and cold water mixing faucet. [Background technology]

[0002] A hot and cold water mixing valve, which mixes hot and cold water and dispenses the mixed water, is located inside a hot and cold water mixing faucet. This hot and cold water mixing valve has a movable valve element that is axially movable within a cylindrical housing, and is biased from both sides in the axial direction by a bias spring and a temperature-sensitive spring made of a shape-memory alloy. In this hot and cold water mixing valve, when the movable valve element opens the hot water port, the temperature-sensitive spring is compressed to its maximum, which increases the force that tries to close the hot water port, potentially causing the temperature adjustment handle to rotate. For this reason, some hot and cold water mixing valves are equipped with a ratchet mechanism whose resistance prevents the temperature adjustment handle from rotating.

[0003] In the hot and cold water mixing valve 100 disclosed in Patent Document 1, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, a ratchet gear 102 with wavy projections 102a formed on its outer surface is coaxially attached to one end of a housing 101, and a ratchet ring 103 with claws 103a formed at two locations on the inner circumferential surface of its circumference is fixed to a temperature adjustment tap rod 104. The ratchet ring 103 is configured to rotate relative to the housing 101 in conjunction with the temperature adjustment tap rod 104. This makes it possible to suppress rotation of a temperature adjustment handle (not shown) attached to the temperature adjustment tap rod 104 by the rotational resistance force created by the meshing of the inner ratchet gear 102 and the outer ratchet ring 103. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-11791 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned prior art, the ratchet ring 103 has a complex shape and is therefore formed by injection molding of resin. If the ratchet ring 103 is made of resin, the force that engages the claw portion 103a with the protrusion 102a of the ratchet gear 102 to suppress rotation of the temperature adjustment tap rod 104 weakens over time, which can make it impossible to suppress rotation of the temperature adjustment handle. To address this issue, it was necessary to increase the rigidity of the ratchet ring 103 by using a resin with a high elastic modulus or by increasing its thickness. This required a strong force to rotate the temperature adjustment handle to adjust the temperature of the water initially, which could reduce the operability of the hot and cold water mixing faucet, and therefore required time to adjust the material and shape of the ratchet ring 103.

[0006] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a hot and cold water mixing valve that can easily maintain stable operability over time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first invention of the present invention is a hot and cold water mixing valve that mixes hot and cold water internally, comprising: a substantially cylindrical housing having a hot water side port to which hot water is supplied and a cold water side port to which cold water is supplied; a movable valve element that is provided within the housing so as to be slidable in the direction of the cylinder axis and that reciprocally changes the opening degrees of the hot water side port and the cold water side port as it slides; a temperature sensitive spring that urges the movable valve element from one side of the direction of the cylinder axis relative to the housing in a direction to close the hot water side port; a bias spring that urges the movable valve element from the other side of the direction of the cylinder axis relative to the housing in a direction to open the hot water side port; a slider that is provided within the housing so as to be slidable in the direction of the cylinder axis and that supports the end of the bias spring opposite to the side that abuts against the movable valve element; and a slider that is connected to the other end of the housing in the direction of the cylinder axis so as to be rotatable about the cylinder axis. and a spindle connected to the slider and adapted to feed the slider in the direction of the cylindrical axis by operation of a temperature adjustment handle, wherein a first ring member having an outer diameter substantially the same as that of the housing and having a first gear on a radially outer annular portion of a surface facing the other end of the housing in the direction of the cylindrical axis on which a plurality of radially extending ridges shaped in cross section are formed at equal angular intervals is attached to the spindle with the cylindrical axis as its central axis, and a second ring member having an outer diameter substantially the same as that of the housing, slidable in the direction of the cylindrical axis opposite the first ring member and having a second gear on a surface facing the first ring member that can be fitted with the first gear is attached to the other end of the housing in the direction of the cylindrical axis in a state where it cannot rotate relative to the housing with the cylindrical axis as its central axis and is biased toward the first ring member.

[0008] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first gear of the first ring member is fitted with the second gear of the second ring member, thereby preventing rotation of the spindle. When a rotational force is applied to the spindle, the second ring member moves away from the first ring member in the axial direction against the biasing force, allowing rotation. The first and second gears are located at approximately the same outer diameter as the housing and are fitted together around the entire circumference, so even if the biasing force is set small, the force suppressing spindle rotation can be increased. This makes it possible to provide a hot and cold water mixing valve that easily maintains stable operability over time.

[0009] The second invention of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned first invention, the second ring member is biased toward the first ring member by a metallic compression coil spring arranged coaxially with the central axis of the spindle between the second ring member and the housing.

[0010] According to the second invention, the second ring member is biased toward the first ring member by a metal compression coil spring arranged coaxially with the central axis of the spindle, so in addition to the effects of the first invention, the operability of the hot and cold water mixing valve can be made more stable over time.

[0011] The third invention of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, an O-ring is arranged between the inner surface of the second ring member and the outer surface of the spindle.

[0012] According to the third aspect of the present invention, resistance is applied to the sliding of the second ring member relative to the first ring member in the cylindrical axis direction, and noise caused by the second ring member vibrating and coming into contact with the first ring member can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a hot and cold water mixing faucet having a hot and cold water mixing valve disposed therein according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the hot and cold water mixing valve according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the hot and cold water mixing valve according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the hot and cold water mixing valve according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a first ring member and a second ring member of the hot and cold water mixing valve according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional hot and cold water mixing valve. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a ratchet gear and a ratchet ring of a conventional hot and cold water mixing valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A hot and cold water mixing valve 10 built into a hot and cold water mixing faucet 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. In each figure, arrows indicate the front, back, left, right, up, and down directions relative to the user using the hot and cold water mixing faucet 1, and directional explanations will follow these directions.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the hot and cold water mixing valve 10 is built into the hot and cold water mixing faucet 1 and functions to mix and discharge supplied hot and cold water. The hot and cold water mixing faucet 1 comprises a faucet body 2 attached to a wall W via a hot water supply pipe 3A and a cold water supply pipe 3B, which are crank-shaped eccentric pipes; a temperature control handle 2A attached to the left side of the faucet body 2; and a switching handle 2B attached to the right side of the faucet body 2. A shower hose 4 is attached to the front of the faucet body 2, and a faucet 5 is attached to the bottom side of the faucet body 2. The temperature control handle 2A is approximately cylindrical and is attached coaxially to a spindle 16 of the hot and cold water mixing valve 10. Rotating the temperature control handle 2A operates the hot and cold water mixing valve 10, changing the hot and cold water mixing ratio. Mixed hot and cold water at a temperature corresponding to the rotation angle of the temperature control handle 2A is then discharged from the shower hose 4 or the faucet 5. Specifically, turning the temperature control handle 2A upward from the illustrated position of approximately 40 degrees increases the temperature, and turning it downward decreases the temperature. The switching handle 2B is roughly cylindrical, and by turning it upward or downward from the illustrated predetermined water stop position, a mixed amount of hot and cold water is selectively discharged from the shower hose 4 or the faucet 5 according to the amount of rotation per unit time.

[0016] 2 to 5, the hot and cold water mixing valve 10 has a substantially cylindrical housing 11, a movable valve element 12 arranged inside the housing 11, a temperature-sensitive spring 13, a bias spring 14, a slider 15, and a spindle 16. The hot and cold water mixing valve 10 further has a ratchet mechanism 20 arranged on the outside of the left side of the housing 11.

[0017] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the housing 11 has an integrated structure consisting of three cylindrical members, one long and one short, connected in the direction of the cylindrical axis CA and sharing the cylindrical axis CA. The housing 11 has a cylindrical wall portion formed with a hot water port 11a, which serves as a hot water supply port, and a cold water port 11b, which serves as a cold water supply port, penetrating the wall portion at different positions along the cylindrical axis CA. The right end of the housing 11 is formed with a right wall 11f, which has a cylindrical through hole 11f1 with its central axis coincident with the cylindrical axis CA. This through hole 11f1 functions as a discharge port 11c through which the mixed hot and cold water is discharged. The left end of the housing 11 is formed with a left wall 11g, which has a cylindrical through hole 11g1 with its central axis coincident with the cylindrical axis CA. Four arc-shaped protrusions 11g2 protruding to the left are formed at equal angular intervals on the outer circumferential portion of the left side surface of the left wall 11g, and the portions between each of the protrusions 11g2 are formed as fitting portions 11g3 into which each of the protrusions 22c of the second ring member 22 described later is slidably fitted in the direction of the cylindrical axis CA.

[0018] 4 and 5, the movable valve element 12 is substantially cylindrical, is disposed inside the housing 11 with the cylindrical axis CA as a common axis, and is slidable in the direction of the cylindrical axis CA relative to the housing 11. The movable valve element 12 is slidable in the direction of the cylindrical axis CA between a position where it abuts from the right side against a closed-side restricting portion 11d formed on the right end of the central cylindrical member constituting the housing 11, and a position where it abuts from the left side against a stepped open-side restricting portion 11e formed on the inner cylindrical portion of the right-side cylindrical member constituting the housing 11.

[0019] As the movable valve element 12 slides leftward, it operates to open the cold water port 11b while closing the hot water port 11a. When its left end abuts against the hot water close-side restricting portion 11d, the hot water port 11a is completely closed. As the movable valve element 12 slides rightward, it operates to open the hot water port 11a while closing the cold water port 11b. When its right end abuts against the hot water open-side restricting portion 11e, the cold water port 11b is completely closed. In other words, the mixing ratio of hot water and cold water is adjusted by the left-right movement of the movable valve element 12, and the temperature of the mixed hot water and cold water is determined.

[0020] As shown in Figure 5, the temperature-sensitive spring 13 is a compression coil spring made of a shape memory alloy, and has the property of changing hardness upon contact with the mixed hot and cold water discharged from the discharge port 11c. Specifically, the spring constant of the temperature-sensitive spring 13 increases as the temperature of the mixed hot and cold water it comes into contact with increases, and decreases as the temperature of the mixed hot and cold water it comes into contact with decreases. The temperature-sensitive spring 13 is disposed in the housing 11 with its central axis aligned with the cylindrical axis CA, its right end abutting the right wall 11f of the housing 11 from the left, and its left end abutting the right end of the movable valve element 12 via the approximately cylindrical spring bearing member 13a.

[0021] 5, the bias spring 14 is a metal compression coil spring that is disposed in the housing 11 with its central axis aligned with the cylindrical axis CA, its left end abutting against the right end of the slider 15, and its right end abutting against the left end of the movable valve element 12 via a flange 17a at the right end of the shaft 17. The shaft 17 is a substantially cylindrical member that extends rightward from the right end of the slider 15 with its central axis aligned with the cylindrical axis CA, and is passed through the inner diameter portion of the coil of the bias spring 14.

[0022] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the slider 15 is a substantially cylindrical member having a bottom wall portion 15a at its right end. The slider 15 is disposed inside the housing 11 with its central axis aligned with the cylindrical axis CA and is slidable only in the direction of the cylindrical axis CA. The slider 15 has a female thread portion 15b formed on the left cylindrical portion that is threadedly engaged with a male thread portion 16b of a spindle 16 that is rotatably connected to the left end of the housing 11 around the cylindrical axis CA. As a result, when the spindle 16 is rotated by operating the temperature control handle 2A (see Figure 1), the slider 15 slides rightward or leftward within the housing 11. The left end of a shaft 17 is fixed to the bottom wall portion 15a.

[0023] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the spindle 16 is a generally round rod-shaped member having a shaft portion 16a on the left side, a male-threaded portion 16b on the right side, and a large-diameter portion 16c between the shaft portion 16a and the male-threaded portion 16b. The shaft portion 16a has a serration portion 16a1 formed from the left end, an E-ring groove 16a2 for fitting an E-ring, a protrusion 16a3 for preventing rotation of the first ring member 21, a first O-ring groove 16a4 for inserting a first O-ring 24, and a second O-ring groove 16a5 for inserting a second O-ring 25. The protrusions 16a3 are provided in pairs, extending radially outward. Each protrusion 16a3 is adapted to fit into a corresponding recess 21a1 of the first ring member 21, which will be described later. The male-threaded portion 16b is adapted to be threadedly engaged with the female-threaded portion 15b of the slider 15. The large-diameter portion 16c has an outer diameter larger than that of the shaft portion 16a and the male-threaded portion 16b. With the first O-ring 24 inserted into the first O-ring groove 16a4 and the second O-ring 25 inserted into the second O-ring groove 16a5, the spindle 16 is inserted through the through-hole 11g1 in the left wall 11g of the housing 11 via the serration portion 16a1. With the serration portion 16a1 protruding outward to the left, the large-diameter portion 16c abuts against the left wall 11g from the right, preventing leftward movement. In this state, the spindle 16 is mounted to the housing 11 so as to be rotatable about the cylindrical axis CA. At this time, the second O-ring 25 abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole 11g1 of the housing 11 in a radially compressed state, maintaining a watertight seal.

[0024] 4 to 6, a ratchet mechanism 20 is disposed between the shaft portion 16a of the spindle 16 and the housing 11. The ratchet mechanism 20 has a first ring member 21, a second ring member 22, a coil spring 23, a first O-ring 24, and an E-ring 26. Here, the coil spring 23 and the first O-ring 24 correspond to the "compression coil spring" and the "O-ring" in the claims, respectively.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the first ring member 21 is a disk-shaped member whose outer diameter is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the left end of the housing 11 and has a mounting hole 21a penetrating through it in the direction of the central axis. A pair of recesses 21a1 are formed in the mounting hole 21a, facing each other in the radial direction. Each recess 21a1 fits over a corresponding protrusion 16a3 of the spindle 16, thereby mounting the first ring member 21 to the spindle 16 so as not to rotate around the cylindrical axis CA. An annular first gear 21b is formed on the right side surface of the first ring member 21, on its outer circumferential portion. The first gear 21b has a plurality of radially extending, angle-shaped cross-sectional protrusions 21b1 arranged at equal angular intervals around the central axis. Four notches 21c are formed at equal angular intervals in the outer diameter portion of the first ring member 21. The four notches 21c are used when assembling the first ring member 21 to the spindle 16.

[0026] The second ring member 22 is a disk-shaped member with an outer diameter equal to that of the first ring member 21 and has a central mounting hole 22a penetrating in the direction of the central axis. An annular second gear 22b is formed on the outer periphery of the left side surface of the second ring member 22. The second gear 22b has a plurality of radially extending protrusions 22b1 with a mountain-shaped cross section, arranged at equal angular intervals around the central axis. The second gear 22b is formed to mesh with the first gear 21b and prevent relative rotation in the circumferential direction when the second ring member 22 is brought close to the first ring member 21 with the central axes aligned. Four arc-shaped protrusions 22c protruding to the right are formed at equal angular intervals on the outer periphery of the right side surface of the second ring member 22. Each protrusion 22c fits into a corresponding fitting portion 11g3 of the housing 11, thereby assembling the second ring member 22 to the housing 11 so as to be slidable in the direction of the cylindrical axis CA but non-rotatable in the circumferential direction.

[0027] 4 and 5, the coil spring 23 is a metal compression coil spring, and is disposed between the second ring member 22 and the left wall 11g of the housing 11 with its central axis aligned with the cylindrical axis CA. This biases the second ring member 22 leftward relative to the housing 11. When the shaft portion 16a of the spindle 16 is inserted through the mounting hole 22a, the first O-ring 24 abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the mounting hole 22a while being compressed radially, and provides resistance to sliding of the second ring member 22 in the direction of the cylindrical axis CA.

[0028] The ratchet mechanism 20 is assembled to the housing 11 as follows: The spindle 16, with the first O-ring 24 and second O-ring 25 attached, the slider 15, the bias spring 14, the movable valve element 12, and the temperature-sensitive spring 13 are installed inside the housing 11, and the second ring member 22 is attached to the housing 11 with the coil spring 23 sandwiched between the spindle 16 and the housing 11. Specifically, the shaft 16a of the spindle 16 protruding leftward from the housing 11 is inserted through the inner diameter portion of the coil spring 23, and the second ring member 22 is moved rightward so that the shaft 16a passes through the mounting hole 22a and the protruding portions 22c engage with the fitting portions 11g3 of the housing 11. At this time, the first O-ring 24 abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the mounting hole 22a while being compressed radially. Next, the shaft portion 16a of the spindle 16 protruding leftward from the housing 11 is passed through the mounting hole 21a from the side of the first gear 21b, and the first ring member 21 is moved rightward until the pair of recesses 21a1 fit into the pair of protrusions 16a3 of the spindle 16. In this state, the E-ring 26 is fitted into the E-ring groove 16a2 of the spindle 16 to prevent the first ring member 21 from moving leftward and coming off the spindle 16. At this time, the first ring member 21 cannot rotate about the cylindrical axis CA relative to the spindle 16, and the second gear 22b of the second ring member 22 meshes with the first gear 21b, so that the second ring member 22 is pressed leftward against the first ring member 21 by the biasing force of the coil spring 23.

[0029] The hot and cold water mixing valve 10 operates as follows in response to operation of the temperature control handle 2A. When the temperature control handle 2A is set to the approximately 40-degree position shown in FIG. 1, the movable valve element 12 receives biasing forces from the temperature-sensing spring 13 and bias spring 14 and is held in a position where these biasing forces are balanced. In this state, the hot water side port 11a and the cold water side port 11b are opened by a predetermined amount, and the mixed hot and cold water is discharged from the discharge port 11c through the area where the temperature-sensing spring 13 is located. At this time, if the temperature of the mixed hot and cold water is higher than the set temperature, the temperature-sensing spring 13 increases its spring constant, pushing the movable valve element 12 to the left, narrowing the hot water side port 11a. If the temperature of the mixed hot and cold water is lower than the set temperature, the temperature-sensing spring 13 decreases its spring constant, and the movable valve element 12 is pushed to the right, widening the hot water side port 11a, by the bias spring 14. This automatically adjusts the temperature of the mixed hot and cold water. At this time, the second gear 22b of the second ring member 22 is pressed against the first gear 21b of the first ring member 21, which is fixed non-rotatably to the spindle 16 that rotates in response to the operation of the temperature control handle 2A, in a fitted state.

[0030] When the temperature control handle 2A is rotated upward from the approximately 40-degree position shown in FIG. 1, the slider 15 is moved to the right via the spindle 16, pushing the bias spring 14 to the right. This increases the biasing force of the bias spring 14, pushing the movable valve element 12 to the right. As a result, the hot water port 11a widens and the cold water port 11b narrows, adjusting the temperature of the mixed hot and cold water to approach the increased set temperature. When the spindle 16 is rotated in response to the operation of the temperature control handle 2A, the ridges 21b1 of the first gear 21b of the first ring member 21 move over the ridges 22b1 of the second gear 22b of the second ring member 22, changing the meshing position. Because the second ring member 22 is pressed leftward against the first ring member 21 by the coil spring 23, resistance is generated to the rotation of the spindle 16, resulting in a clicking sensation each time the meshing position changes. Furthermore, when the temperature of the mixed hot and cold water is raised, the spring force of the temperature-sensing spring 13 increases, generating a force that tends to rotate the temperature control handle, but this is suppressed by the rotational resistance force of the ratchet mechanism 20.

[0031] When the temperature adjustment handle 2A is turned downward from the approximately 40-degree position shown in Figure 1, the slider 15 is moved leftward via the spindle 16, and the bias spring 14 is pulled leftward. This reduces the biasing force of the bias spring 14, and the biasing force of the temperature-sensing spring 13 pushes the movable valve element 12 leftward. As a result, the cold water side port 11b widens while the hot water side port 11a narrows, adjusting the temperature of the mixed hot and cold water to approach the lowered set temperature. Again, when the spindle 16 is rotated in response to the operation of the temperature adjustment handle 2A, the ridges 21b1 of the first gear 21b of the first ring member 21 move over the ridges 22b1 of the second gear 22b of the second ring member 22, changing the meshing position. The second ring member 22 is pressed leftward against the first ring member 21 by the coil spring 23, so that a resistance force is generated against the rotation of the spindle 16, and a clicking sensation is generated each time the meshing position changes.

[0032] The present embodiment configured as described above provides the following advantageous effects. The first gear 21b of the first ring member 21 is engaged with the second gear 22b of the second ring member 22, thereby preventing rotation of the spindle 16. When a rotational force is applied to the spindle 16 and the ridges 21b1 of the first gear 21b attempt to ride over the ridges 22b1 of the second gear 22b, the second ring member 22 moves away from the first ring member 21 in the direction of the cylindrical axis CA against the biasing force of the coil spring 23, thereby allowing rotation. Because the outer diameters of the first gear 21b and the second gear 22b are located at substantially the same position as the housing 11 and are engaged with each other around the entire circumference, the force suppressing rotation of the spindle 16 can be increased even if the biasing force of the coil spring 23 is set small. This allows for a hot and cold water mixing valve 10 that easily maintains stable operability over time. In addition, since the ratchet mechanism 20 is located outside the housing 11, the outer diameters of the first gear 21b and the second gear 22b can be set to approximately the same size as the outer diameter of the housing 11, so the angular spacing between the protrusions 21b1 and 22b1 can be made smaller, allowing for more precise temperature adjustment by operating the temperature adjustment handle 2A.

[0033] Furthermore, the second ring member 22 is biased toward the first ring member 21 by the coil spring 23, which is a metal compression coil spring arranged coaxially with the cylindrical axis CA, which is the central axis of the spindle 16. Therefore, the rotational force when each protrusion 21b1 of the first gear 21b rides over each protrusion 22b1 of the second gear 22b is less likely to change over time, achieving stable operability.

[0034] Furthermore, a first O-ring 24 is disposed in a state compressed in the radial direction between the inner peripheral surface of the mounting hole 22a of the second ring member 22 and the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion 16a of the spindle 16. This provides resistance to the sliding of the second ring member 22 relative to the first ring member 21 in the direction of the cylinder axis CA, and can suppress the generation of noise caused by the second ring member 22 vibrating and coming into contact with the first ring member 21.

[0035] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1 hot and cold water mixing faucet, 2A temperature control handle, 10 hot and cold water mixing valve, 11 housing, 11a hot water side port, 11b cold water side port, 11c discharge port, 11g left wall, 12 movable valve body, 13 temperature sensing spring, 14 bias spring, 15 slider, 16 spindle, 16a shaft portion, 20 ratchet mechanism portion, 21 first ring member, 21b first gear, 21b1 ridge, 22 second ring member, 22a mounting hole, 22b second gear, 22b1 ridge, 23 coil spring (compression coil spring), 24 first O-ring (O-ring), CA cylindrical shaft

Claims

1. A hot and cold water mixing valve that mixes hot and cold water internally, a substantially cylindrical housing having a hot water port through which hot water is supplied and a cold water port through which cold water is supplied; a movable valve element provided within the housing so as to be slidable in the direction of the cylinder axis, the movable valve element sliding to reciprocally change the opening degrees of the hot water side port and the cold water side port; a temperature-sensitive spring that biases the movable valve element relative to the housing in a direction toward the cylindrical axis so as to close the hot water side port; a bias spring that biases the movable valve element relative to the housing in a direction that opens the hot water side port from the other side of the cylindrical axis; a slider provided in the housing so as to be slidable in the direction of the cylindrical axis, the slider supporting an end of the bias spring opposite to the side that abuts against the movable valve body; a spindle connected to the other end of the housing in the direction of the cylindrical axis so as to be rotatable about the cylindrical axis as a central axis, and adapted to feed the slider in the direction of the cylindrical axis by operating a temperature adjustment handle; a first ring member having an outer diameter substantially the same as that of the housing, and a first gear having a plurality of radially extending ridges with a cross section having a chevron shape formed at equal angular intervals on a radially outer annular portion of a surface facing the other end of the housing in the direction of the cylindrical axis, the first ring member being attached to the spindle with the cylindrical axis as its central axis; A hot and cold water mixing valve is attached to the other end of the housing in the direction of the cylindrical axis, and a second ring member has an outer diameter approximately the same as that of the housing, is slidable in the direction of the cylindrical axis opposite the first ring member, and has a second gear formed on the surface opposite the first ring member that can engage with the first gear, and is attached in a state where it cannot rotate relative to the housing around the cylindrical axis as its center axis and is biased toward the first ring member.

2. In claim 1, A hot and cold water mixing valve in which the second ring member is biased toward the first ring member by a metal compression coil spring arranged coaxially with the central axis of the spindle between the second ring member and the housing.

3. In claim 1 or claim 2, A hot and cold water mixing valve in which an O-ring is arranged between the inner peripheral surface of the second ring member and the outer peripheral surface of the spindle.

Images