Expansion material element for a thermostatic mixing valve

Abstract

An expansion material element (1) for a thermostatic mixing valve (2), having an expansion material (3) comprising at least one additive (4) from the group below: synthetic graphite, highly conductive graphite having a thermal conductivity of at least 350W/(mK), boronnitride;
a thermostatic mixing valve (2) having such an expansion material element (1); and a sanitary faucet (8) having such a thermostatic mixing valve (2).

Claims

1. An expansion material element (1) for a thermostatic valve or a thermostatic mixing valve (2), having an expansion material (3) comprising at least one additive (4) from the group below: synthetic graphite, highly conductive graphite having a thermal conductivity of at least 350 W/(mK), and boron nitride, wherein a mass fraction of the at least one additive (4) in the expansion material (3) is 50% to 80%.

2. The expansion material element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one additive (4) has a mean particle size D50 of 0.4 m to 550 m.

3. The expansion material element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the expansion material (3) is disposed in a body (5) of the expansion material element (1).

4. The expansion material element (1) according to claim 1, wherein the expansion material (3) is used to drive a working piston (6) of the expansion material element (1).

5. The expansion material element (1) according to claim 4, wherein a diaphragm (7) is disposed between the expansion material (3) and the working piston (6).

6. A sanitary faucet (8), comprising a faucet body (12) and a thermostatic mixing valve (2), wherein the thermostatic mixing valve (2) comprises: a body element (9) having a mixing chamber (10) for mixing cold water and warm water to form mixed water; a control element (11) for adjusting a mixing ratio between the cold water and warm water in the mixing chamber (10); and the expansion material element (1) according to claim 1, which can be used to actuate the control element (11).

Description

(1) The invention and the technical environment are explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. It should be noted that the figures show a particularly preferred embodiment variant of the invention, but the invention is not limited thereto. The same reference numerals are used for the same components in the figures. In an exemplary and schematic manner

(2) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of an expansion material element at a first temperature;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the expansion material element at a second temperature; and

(4) FIG. 3 shows a sanitary faucet having a thermostatic mixing valve with the expansion material element.

(5) FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of an expansion material element 1 at a first temperature. The expansion material element 1 comprises a body 5, which is cup-shaped in this case. The body 5 contains an expansion material 3, which in this case is wax and has an additive 4. The additive 4 is a powder and/or particles and mixed with the expansion material 3. The additive 4 may be synthetic graphite, highly conductive graphite having a thermal conductivity of at least X S/m and/or boron nitride. Furthermore, the expansion material element has a working piston 6, which is separated from the expansion material 3 by a flexible diaphragm 7. The working piston 6 is guided in a guide opening 13 of a closure element 14, such that the working piston 6 can be pressurized by the expansion material 3 in the guide opening 13.

(6) FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the expansion material element 1 at a second temperature. Because the second temperature is higher than the first temperature, the expansion material 3 has expanded compared to the condition shown in FIG. 1 and has driven the working piston 6 some way out of the guide opening 13. As the temperature drops, the volume of the expansion material 3 shrinks and the working piston 6 can be returned, for instance by a return spring (not shown here).

(7) FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section of a sanitary faucet 8, which can be used in a shower, for instance. The sanitary faucet 8 comprises a faucet body 12 having a thermostatic mixing valve 2 with the expansion material element 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and a valve 15. The faucet body 12 can be supplied with cold water via a cold-water intake 16 and with warm water via a warm-water intake 17. The cold water and the warm water can be supplied to the thermostatic mixing valve 2 through fluid channels formed in the faucet body 12. The thermostatic mixing valve 2 can mix the cold water and the warm water to form a mixed water having a desired mixed-water temperature. The thermostatic mixing valve 2 has a body element 9 that is (substantially) tubular in shape and extends along a longitudinal axis 18 of the thermostatic mixing valve 2 or along the faucet body 12 of the sanitary faucet 8. At least one warm-water inlet 20 and at least one cold-water inlet 21 are formed in the cartridge head piece 19 of the thermostatic mixing valve 2. The embodiment variant of the thermostatic mixing valve 2 shown here has a plurality of warm-water inlets 20 and cold-water inlets 21 distributed in a circumferential direction about the longitudinal axis 18 of the cartridge head piece 19. The warm water can be routed into a mixing chamber 10 of the thermostatic mixing valve 2 via the warm-water inlets 20 and the cold-water inlets 21. Consequently, the mixing chamber 10 is disposed downstream of the warm-water inlets 20 and of the cold-water inlets 21. The warm water and the cold water can at least partially be mixed to a mixed water at a mixed-water temperature in the mixing chamber 10. A mixed water outlet 22, through which the mixed water of the mixed-water temperature can exit the thermostatic mixing valve 2, is disposed downstream of the mixing chamber 10. From the mixed water outlet 22, the mixed water can be supplied to the valve 15, the valve body 23 of which can be used to control a discharge of the mixed water from the sanitary faucet 8.

(8) The mixed-water temperature of the mixed water is determined by a mixing ratio between the warm water and the cold water and a warm-water temperature of the warm water and a cold-water temperature of the cold water. The thermostatic mixing valve 2 has an operating element 24 for adjusting the mixed-water temperature. The operating element 24 comprises an actuating handle 25, which is connected in a non-rotatable manner to a control nut 26 of an overload unit 27. The actuating handle 25 including the control nut 26 can thus be rotated about an axis of rotation 28, which in this case is identical to the longitudinal axis 18. When the actuating handle 25 is rotated, a spring sleeve 29 is moved in an axial direction 30, i.e. in parallel to the longitudinal axis 18. The motion of the spring sleeve 29 in the axial direction 30 is transmitted to an expansion material element 1, which in turn moves a control element 11 in the way of a control gate valve in the axial direction 30. Depending on the position of the control element 11 in the axial direction 30, the control element 11 can alternately open and close a warm-water control gap (not visible here) and a cold-water control gap (not visible here). Depending on the position of the control gate valve 11, a matching amount of warm water and cold water is routed to the thermostatic mixing valve 2 through the warm-water control gap and the cold-water control gap, from which the mixed water is mixed for a corresponding mixed-water temperature. Owing to the expansion material 3 of the expansion material element 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the control element 11 can be actuated by the working piston 6 of the expansion material element 1, also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in such a way that the mixed water is kept at a (largely) constant mixed-water temperature. If, for instance, too much warm water or too little cold water flows into the thermostatic mixing valve 2, the expansion material 3 of the expansion material element 1 heats up and expands, causing it to move the control element 11 in the axial direction 30 towards the mixed-water outlet 22, decreasing the size of the warm-water control gap and increasing the size of the cold-water control gap. Then, less warm water and more cold water flows into the mixing chamber 10. If, for instance, too much cold water or too little warm water flows into the thermostatic mixing valve 2, the expansion material 3 of the expansion material element 1 contracts, causing the expansion material element 1 to move the control element 11 away from the mixed water outlet 22, increasing the size of the warm-water control gap and decreasing the size of the cold-water control gap. Then, more warm water and less cold water flows into the mixing chamber 10.

(9) This invention renders achieving a particularly high reaction rate of an expansion material element possible.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(10) 1 expansion material element 2 thermostatic mixing valve 3 expansion material 4 additive 5 body 6 working piston 7 diaphragm 8 sanitary faucet 9 body element 10 mixing chamber 11 control element 12 faucet body 13 guide opening 14 closure element 15 valve 16 cold-water intake 17 warm-water intake 18 longitudinal axis 19 cartridge head piece 20 warm-water inlet 21 cold-water inlet 22 mixed-water outlet 23 valve body 24 operating element 25 actuating handle 26 control nut 27 overload unit 28 axis of rotation 29 spring sleeve 30 axial direction