Abstract: A sealing element is made up of a shut-off body with a sealing surface; a bonding layer component provided on the sealing surface of the shut-off body and containing silicon and carbon; and a sliding layer component provided on the bonding layer component and containing silicon and carbon. The bonding layer component has a silicon content greater than that of the sliding layer component so that the bonding layer component has more ductile properties than the sliding layer component. The sliding layer component is harder than the bonding layer component. The sliding layer component is thinner than the bonding layer component and less than one um so that the bonding layer component takes up stresses of the sliding layer component without impairing adhesion capability of the bonding layer component to the sealing surface.

Abstract: A flow-control valve has a housing, a valve cartridge in the housing connectable between sources of hot and cold water and an output and including a valve for varying a volume/rate parameter and a temperature parameter of flow from the sources to the output, and a lever pivoted on the cartridge about two transverse axes, connected to the valve means, and movable by pivoting about one of the axes along a path in one direction relative to the housing to vary one of the parameters and movable by pivoting about the other of the axes in another direction relative to the housing to vary the other parameter. A stop is provided on the housing outside the valve cartridge along the path engageable with the lever. A biasing or spring unit urges the stop transversely into the path of the lever and thereby inhibits movement of the lever along the path past the stop.

Abstract: A shower head has a rigid body forming a pressurizable compartment having a downstream wall of composite synthetic-resin material having an inner face and formed with an array of throughgoing holes so that pressurized water in the compartment will exit therefrom through the holes. A unitary liner sheet of a soft elastomer has an outer face bonded to the inner face of the downstream wall and is formed with respective tubular nipples fitting in and projecting through the holes. Each nipple forms a throughgoing passage having an inner end opening in the compartment and an outer end opening outside the body. The liner sheet and integral nipples are molded in situ against the inner face of the plate forming the downstream wall of the shower body. The composite synthetic-resin material is a polybutyleneterephthalate and the elastomer is silicone or the composite synthetic-resin material can be polypropylene and the elastomer a thermoplastic.

Abstract: A single-control valve has a normally stationary valve plate formed with hot- and cold-water inlet ports and an outlet port opening at a flat face of the valve plate and a movable control plate having a flat face lying on the valve-plate face and formed with a cavity opening at the control-plate face and juxtaposable over the ports. at least one of the plates and its surface are formed of a hard ceramic, and at least the surface of the other of the plates is formed of a low-friction synthetic resin. The low-friction synthetic resin is polyethylene or polypropylene.