Sanitary Fitting With Coupled Shut-Off Valves to Prevent Crossflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sanitary fittings lack a design that prevents crossflow between hot and cold water lines while ensuring simultaneous operation of valves and allowing only open or closed positions, without flow rate adjustment capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The sanitary fitting incorporates mechanically or electronically coupled push valves in the hot and cold water lines, which are designed to be in either open or closed positions simultaneously, with a downstream mixing unit for temperature adjustment, and optionally includes a thermostatic cartridge for precise temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If valves are designed to allow flow rate adjustment, then flow control capability is improved, but risk of crossflow between hot and cold water lines increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the shut-off function (performed by push valves in hot and cold lines) from the flow control function (performed by a separate downstream control unit). This segmentation allows the valves to be simple binary open/closed devices that prevent crossflow, while flow adjustment is handled by a dedicated unit that mixes water after the valves.
Solution Approach 2:
A mixing unit is introduced as an intermediary component between the shut-off valves and the outlet. This mixing unit receives water from both hot and cold lines and provides the actual flow rate adjustment and temperature mixing, thereby eliminating the need for the valves to perform both shut-off and flow control functions simultaneously.
2Ease of operation
If valves are coupled mechanically for simultaneous operation, then operational simplicity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating elements of the two push valves are merged into a single unified actuating mechanism. A single actuator controls both the cold water valve and the hot water valve simultaneously, so that pressing the actuator opens both valves, and releasing it closes both valves. This merging eliminates the need for separate control mechanisms while maintaining simple operation.
3Ease of operation
If push valves are used instead of traditional valves, then ease of actuation is improved, but flow rate adjustment capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the shut-off function (performed by push valves in hot and cold lines) from the flow control function (performed by a separate downstream control unit). This segmentation allows the valves to be simple binary open/closed devices that prevent crossflow, while flow adjustment is handled by a dedicated unit that mixes water after the valves.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a sanitary fitting comprising a cold water connection (1), a hot water connection (2), a mixing unit (3), a cold water line (4) leading from the cold water connection (1) to the mixing unit (3), a hot water line (5) leading from the hot water connection (2) to the mixing unit (3), a first valve (6) arranged in the cold water line (4) and a second valve (7) arranged in the hot water line (5), wherein both the first valve (6) and the second valve (7) are switchable exclusively between an open position and a closed position.