A pressure balance valve of an internal retention structure includes a control head, a valve housing, a balance valve assembly, and a valve seat assembly. The balance valve assembly includes a balance valve body, a piston, and sealing elements. The valve seat assembly includes a valve seat, two water stop sleeves, and a plug cap. The valve seat is integrally formed with a valve core chamber receiving therein balance valve assembly and closed by the plug cap. The valve seat assembly forms sealed and movable engagement with the control head by means of the water stop sleeves. Positioning between the valve core the valve seat and the valve housing can be made more accurate and more reliable and sealing performance of the valve core is improved.

A hybrid faucet system can include one or more sensors and manual controllers. For example, a faucet system can include a first infrared sensor configured to communicate with processing electronics to initiate a first operating mode of a hybrid faucet responsive to detecting a first activation motion for a first time period. The system can include a first manual controller configured to control a flow rate of hot water into the hybrid faucet system. In some embodiments, the system includes a second manual controller configured to control a flow rate of cold water into the hybrid faucet system.

A system and method for a constituent rendering of biomass and other carbon-based materials is provided. The system can be configured for receiving a feedstock material to be rendered into its constituent components, grinding the feedstock to a desired size and/or consistency, and placing the feedstock in contact with a hot mix heat transfer medium within a pressure chamber. Pyrolysis of the feedstock can lead to a breakdown of the feedstock into constituent components that can then be collected.

An apparatus for diverting a fluid flow path automatically diverts a fluid flow path in accordance with inclining of a main body, and includes two or more selectable fluid flow paths through which an external air stream is drawn, a fixed fluid flow path to be selectively connected to one of the selectable fluid flow paths, a path selecting unit to connect the fixed fluid flow path to one of the selectable fluid flow paths, and a driving member to provide a driving force for path selecting of the path selecting unit. If mounted in an external apparatus, the driving member causes the path selecting unit to move and connect to the fixed fluid flow path in accordance with inclining of the external apparatus.

An apparatus for diverting a fluid flow path automatically diverts a fluid flow path in accordance with inclining of a main body, and includes two or more selectable fluid flow paths through which an external air stream is drawn, a fixed fluid flow path to be selectively connected to one of the selectable fluid flow paths, a path selecting unit to connect the fixed fluid flow path to one of the selectable fluid flow paths, and a driving member to provide a driving force for path selecting of the path selecting unit. If mounted in an external apparatus, the driving member causes the path selecting unit to move and connect to the fixed fluid flow path in accordance with inclining of the external apparatus.

A mixing valve of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle includes: a flap arranged in a suction channel and a flap arranged in an exhaust gas channel. One single flap of the two flaps is drivable via a gear pair with non-round or eccentric gears. The drive of the other flap has lost motion, whereby the closing movements of the flaps can be formed in a particularly free manner with only a single actuating motor.

There is proposed a water fitting having a fitting housing, having a water outlet commonly assigned to at least two water inlets, wherein at least two parallelly guided water lines are provided between one or more water inlets and the common water outlet, and wherein, in the parallelly guided water lines, there is provided in each case one control element for opening and closing the water flow path, which water fitting can be used in a flexible manner for the greatest possible number of sanitary applications, for example in kitchens, bathrooms, swimming facilities, sauna facilities, toilet facilities, abattoirs or the like, both in (semi-) public and also private areas. This is achieved according to the invention in that, when a control element in one of the parallel water lines is open, the one or more further control elements in the one or more further parallel water lines are closed.

A sanitary fixture having a connector assembly which includes an adapter piece is provided for connection to a single-lever mixing cartridge. A pivotable connector piece having a hose connector is pivotably mounted between the base plate and the adapter piece. The base plate includes receptacles for a cold-water hose end piece and a warm-water end piece. The connector piece has an inner duct which, at a first end, opens out to the connector assembly and, at a second end, opens out to the hose connector. The connector piece is connected via a plug-in connection to a connector-piece receptacle of the adapter piece. The connector-piece receptacle opens out into a connection duct of a first type, which extends in the adapter piece crosswise to a connection duct of a second type in the adapter piece.

A testing cap for a valve body includes a base configured to releasably attach to the valve body and to cover an opening in the valve body. The opening is configured to receive a valve cartridge and the base covers the opening in place of the valve cartridge. The testing cap includes a structure extending from the base. The structure is configured to be oriented relative to the valve body in a first orientation and a second orientation. The structure allows fluid to enter the valve body through an inlet port in the valve body and exit the valve body through an outlet port in the valve body when the structure is oriented in the first orientation. The structure covers at least one of the inlet port and the outlet port when the structure is oriented in the second orientation, thereby preventing fluid flow through the valve body.

A faucet system for providing adjustable water flow is provided. The system includes hot and cold water valves operable to respectively control a flow of hot and cold water, a sensor pad with substantially continuous sensing axes, and a controller in communication with the sensor pad and operatively connected to the hot and cold water valves. The controller processes user gestures detected using the sensor pad to determine a selected flow temperature or a selected flow magnitude from a substantially continuous range of possible values, and operate the hot and cold water valves to attain the selected flow temperature or the selected flow magnitude. A method is also provided for operating the same, along with a kit for retrofitting existing faucet assemblies in order to form a faucet system.