Thermostatic Mixer Tap Shuttle Assembly for Stable Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermostatic mixer taps face challenges in maintaining stable water temperature, are costly to manufacture, and have complex assembly processes that can lead to valve degradation during installation and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A thermostatic mixer tap design featuring a head body with a tube extending through a ring, a sleeve bringing hot water, and a shuttle with flat seals and seats that allow for easy assembly and removal, providing better sealing and stability, and made from synthetic materials for reduced costs and improved wear resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional mixer cartridge with socket and force mounting is used, then the valve can be assembled, but the risk of valve degradation during mounting increases and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mixer is divided into separate modular components: a body, a head body with tube, and a shuttle assembly. The shuttle can be independently assembled into the tube without force mounting, and the head body is separately screwed into the body. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and assembled independently, reducing complexity and preventing valve degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The flat seals are pre-positioned on the shuttle before final assembly, and the flat seats are pre-formed on the valve bodies. This preliminary preparation ensures proper alignment and seating during assembly, eliminating the need for force mounting and preventing valve degradation while simplifying the manufacturing process.
2Ease of manufacture
If complex assembly processes are used, then complete mixer assembly is achieved, but manufacturing costs increase and maintenance difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mixer is designed with separable modules where the head body with tube can be removed from the body, and the shuttle can be extracted from the tube. This segmentation enables simple maintenance procedures where components can be accessed and replaced without disassembling the entire mixer, reducing both manufacturing complexity and maintenance difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
The shuttle is designed to be easily extracted from the tube by simply removing the head body. This extraction capability allows for simple maintenance and replacement of the shuttle and its seals without complex disassembly procedures, thereby simplifying both manufacturing and maintenance while reducing costs.
3Reliability
If traditional valve sealing methods are used, then assembly is possible, but sealing performance deteriorates and temperature stability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses flat seals and flat seats with perpendicular surfaces instead of curved or tapered sealing surfaces. This flat geometry provides more consistent contact and sealing performance, improving temperature stability while simplifying the sealing mechanism and reducing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing mechanism uses flat seals with perpendicular seating surfaces, changing the geometric parameters of the sealing interface. This parameter change improves sealing performance and temperature stability by ensuring uniform contact pressure and better cooperation between sealing surfaces, while keeping the mechanism simple.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design simplifies manufacturing and maintenance, enhances temperature stability, and ensures anti-scalding safety by allowing easy access and replacement of components, while reducing manufacturing costs and improving valve cooperation and sealing.
Implementation Method 1
a shuttle receiving a capsule of wax being slidably mounted inside the tube
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a thermostatic mixing valve having a water opening control located on the hot water inlet side (7) and a temperature control located on the cold water inlet side, said mixing valve having a mixed water outlet (5) located on the cold water inlet side, characterized in that it comprises a head body (1) extending into a tube (3) and in that the tube (3) receives a plug (8), a flat hot water inlet seat being located in the plug (8) and a flat cold water inlet seat being located in the tube (3) integral with the head body (1), a shuttle (10) receiving a wax capsule (11) being mounted to slide inside the tube (3), said shuttle (10) carrying the hot water (16) and cold water (17) valves cooperating with said respectively flat hot water inlet seats and seat cold water inlet dish.