Seats Face Outwardly Patents (Class 236/12.22)
  • Patent number: 11674293
    Abstract: A plumbing fitting includes a housing and a missing valve. The housing includes a first aperture, a second aperture, a third aperture, and a mixing chamber in fluid communication with the first aperture, the second aperture, and the third aperture. The mixing valve is disposed within the housing. The mixing valve includes a first flow control valve that is configured to control a first flow of fluid from the first aperture to the mixing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventor: Kevin T. Peel
  • Patent number: 11454333
    Abstract: Valve controlled cartridge operated by a pushbutton for the mixing of water and/or for directing water coming from an inlet to one or more outlets. The valve is a flow controlled piston valve (10) with a valve piston (17) guided in the interior of the housing (13) for axial displacement, and where no mechanical connection exists between the control valve (30) and the valve piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Inventors: Dániel Pávics, Tamás Magöcsi, György Bolgár
  • Patent number: 11333115
    Abstract: Fuel recirculation methods, fuel supply circuits and fuel recirculation valves for selectively mixing hot return fuel from a diesel engine with fuel from a tank before providing it to back to the engine. In exemplary disclosed embodiments of fuel recirculation valves, the valves are configured to selectively mix the fuel in a controlled manner using a temperature sensitive actuator within the valve such that, when the temperature of the fuel reaches a certain point, the valve restricts flow pathways to reduce heated fuel being mixed with fuel from the fuel tank, and eventually closes to prevent any heated fuel from being mixed and overheating the fuel provided to a fuel filter, a fuel pump and the engine. Disclosed fuel circulation valves are separate from the fuel filter and are placed upstream of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: CLARK EQUIPMENT COMPANY
    Inventors: Shaun Riveland, Ryan Wenz, Brandon Kisse, Justin Muscha
  • Patent number: 10921832
    Abstract: A hot water valve assembly is disclosed including a dual inlet housing having a cold water inlet and a hot water inlet, a thermostatic mixing cartridge disposed within the dual inlet housing, an inner conduit disposed adjacent to and in fluid communication with the dual inlet housing and a shell including a mixed water outlet that is connected to and in fluid communication with the inner conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: ZURN INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Marc G. Block, Michael A. Funari
  • Patent number: 10302208
    Abstract: A thermally actuated flow control valve mounted to a housing to control fluid flow based on temperature is provided. The control valve has a relief bias member in a cap projecting outside of the housing. Within the housing, the control valve has an actuator extending into a return bias container and a valve member. The actuator includes a thermally responsive material that expands and contracts in response to fluid flow over a predetermined range of temperatures. The actuator extends to close the valve member against a valve seat within the housing when the thermally responsive material expands. A return member moves the valve member away from the valve seat when the thermally responsive material contracts. The return bias container allows the relief bias member to accommodate pressures and temperatures beyond the predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Rostra Vernatherm, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin W. Lamb, Kenneth Lionello
  • Patent number: 10024037
    Abstract: The invention is a water conservation system for conserving water supplied by a hot water tank, the system functioning to selectively open a diverter fluid path extending between a hot water supply line and a cold water supply line, and operating a return module to return unheated water in the hot water supply line back to the hot water tank using the cold water supply line until the water in the hot water supply line flows hot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Inventor: Joseph Stecewycz
  • Patent number: 9027844
    Abstract: A water delivery system is provided, including at least one sink with a faucet device having a cold water faucet part and a hot water faucet part, a cold water line to the at least one sink, a hot water line to the at least one sink, and a valve associated with the at least one sink allowing in an open state the transport of water between the hot water line and the cold water line and inhibiting in a closed state the transport of water between the hot water line and the cold water line, wherein the open state and the closed state of the valve depend solely on whether a differential pressure across the valve is below or above a threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Xylem IP Holdings LLC
    Inventor: Karsten Laing
  • Patent number: 7845574
    Abstract: The cartridge comprises two ceramic disks (20, 24) for regulating the temperature and flow of a mixture (M) of two entering fluids. In order to ensure that the temperature of the mixture remains lower than a predetermined value, the cartridge comprises thermostatic means (16) designed for, in the event of a high-temperature mixture, automatically shutting off, upstream from these disks, the circulation of the entering fluid (C) of the highest temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Vernet
    Inventor: Christian Mace
  • Patent number: 7744007
    Abstract: Thermostatic mixing valves and systems for mixing fluids of dissimilar temperature are disclosed. A thermostatic mixing valve in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention can include an elongated valve body defining a cold fluid inlet, a hot fluid inlet, a mix fluid outlet and a mixing chamber, a fluid flow regulator for adjusting the flow of cold and hot fluid injected into the mixing chamber, and temperature selection means for adjusting the temperature of fluid contained within the mixing chamber. The valve body may have a vertical, in-line configuration wherein the hot fluid inlet, mixing chamber, and mix fluid outlet are substantially axially aligned along a vertical longitudinal axis of the valve body, allowing hot fluid to pass substantially vertically through the valve body towards the mix fluid outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph W. Beagen, Steve Goins
  • Patent number: 7163157
    Abstract: An automatic compensating valve, e.g., for individual shower and tub/shower combination fixtures, has a valve body defining cold and hot water inlet flow passageways, a mixing chamber, a mixed temperate water outlet flow passageway, and an axial bore. The valve includes a plunger that defines, with other elements of the valve, a first orifice for communication of the cold water inlet with said mixing chamber and a second orifice for communication of hot water inlet with mixing chamber. The plunger is mounted within a mixing subassembly for axial movement within the bore, including in response to temperature of water within the mixing chamber to vary the ratio of flow of cold water through the first orifice to flow of hot water through the second orifice. The first orifice and the second orifice are arranged for flow of water transverse to axial movement of the plunger within the bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Watts Regulator Co.
    Inventors: Zoltan Goncze, James C. Graves
  • Patent number: 6471132
    Abstract: A thermostatic mixing valve includes a body, inlets for intake of hot and cold water and a discharge outlet for delivery of mixed water. A mixing chamber is within the body and is defined by a perimeter wall member that houses a slide valve which slidably moves in the mixing chamber so as to control the opening and closing of the inlets to the mixing chamber. A thermostatic element is mounted to control motion of the slide valve. A partition is mounted in the mixing chamber between the inlets. A cross passage allows water from one inlet to pass the partition toward the discharge outlet. The mixing chamber has an inclined surface to direct water from the other inlet toward the cross passage to promote mixing of the hot and cold water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Masco Corporation of Indiana
    Inventor: Francesco Knapp