The present invention relates to a functional unit in the field of sanitary facilities. In sanitary engineering, a functional unit is understood to be a unit which can also be circumscribed as the central operating part of a sanitary fitting. In this context, such functional units generally comprise valves, in particular mixing valves in the case of water fittings, in order, for example, to mix water from a cold-water connection and from a hot-water connection in a specific ratio, and to discharge the mixed water at a desired mixing temperature to at least one point of use.
Functional units can be operated manually with a lever (single-lever mixer), or controlled by a thermostat, or via an electronic control element by motorized actuators. The latter can also be carded out from a control unit. Functional units can comprise several elements, not all of which need to be housed in one or the same housing. A functional unit can be either a mixing valve by itself or a combination of mixing valve and distributor. In this context, a distributor is understood to be a discharge point having at least one outlet that is connected to the mixer. A combination of mixer and distributor represents a functional unit in the general sense of the present invention.
The patent specification DE 101 19 690 C1 describes the basic principle of a sanitary installation in a bathroom, The central part of this sanitary installation is a mixing fitting with two valves for the inlet of cold water and hot water, a mixed-water channel with temperature sensor and flow measuring device, and a distributor having electromagnetic shut-off valves to the mixed-water outlets. This equipment is controlled by an electronic control system.
The same basic principle for sanitary supply in a bathroom with a corresponding functional unit is also shown in the patent application FR 2 340 424 A1 in the figures.
EP 0 195 271 A2 describes a water installation for washrooms with several washing facilities. Here, the electronic control system is located in a central control box in a box and the electro-hydraulic elements are located in a room compartment, The pipe connections are arranged on the wail or floor of this room compartment, namely a cold-water inlet and a hot-water inlet, as well as the outlets for the mixed water to the individual consumption points, e.g. several washing troughs and showers. The electro-hydraulic elements in said room compartment include a mixing valve motor-controlled by a belt drive, a temperature sensor in the mixed-water pipe, and a mixed-water distributor with pipe branching and separate solenoid valves to each individual outlet with each connected point of consumption.
EP 1 240 564 B1 describes an electronic mixed-water preparation unit and a method for preparing mixed water. This mixed-water preparation unit comprises a mixing body which has a hot-water inlet and a cold-water inlet. The supplied hot and cold water is mixed within the mixing body in response to a temperature sensor in a ratio specified by an electronic control unit to achieve a set temperature specified by an operating unit. One or more water-drawing devices are connectable to the electronic mixed-water preparation unit and are individually controllable, although no distribution details are disclosed. To drive the mixing body, it is said that a stepper motor acts as an actuator via a gear unit on a rotatably mounted actuator, embodied according to the drawing by a spindle leading into the interior of the mixing chamber. The electronic control unit and the actuator with mixing body are arranged in a single device unit sizable for flush mounting,
EP 1 844 380 B1 describes a washing system for a washroom comprising a mixing valve with electronic control system and an electric motor for adjusting the mixing ratio of hot and cold water in the mixing valve. A cold-water connection and a hot-water connection lead into the mixing valve body. At the outlet of the mixing valve and after a damping chamber, the temperature of the mixed water is measured. The ratio between the amount of cold water and the amount of hot water to achieve a desired mixed water temperature is adjusted in a controlled manner in that the electronic control system uses an electric stepper motor and a toothed belt drive to rotate a valve piston rod with threaded guide arranged axially in the mixing chamber, thereby shifting its axial position so as to change the size of grooved openings from the cold-water chamber to the subsequent hot-water chamber. After the outlet of the mixing valve and the damping chamber, the mixed water can be distributed, for example., to one, two or more points of consumption, wherein each point of consumption is individually selected by solenoid valves. The mixing valve with drive, the electronic control system, the damping chamber and the solenoid valves can be housed in one box.
In the prior art, the tendency is apparent that the functional units, which as stated at the beginning are to be understood as a combination of mixer and distributor, should be accommodated in a space-saving manner and, if possible, in one housing. However, the functional units known to date still require a relatively large amount of installation space due to the design and arrangement of their elements and are not yet optimally compact.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an alternative functional unit that is compact and space-saving, making it well suited for concealed installation.
This object is solved by a functional unit with the features of claim 1.
The invention further comprises uses of the functional unit according to the invention.
Preferred embodiments and variants according to the invention result from the respective dependent claims.
A functional unit according to the invention for sanitary installations, having a cold-water inflow and a hot-water inflow and at least one mixed-water outlet, comprises a mixer and a distributor connected to the mixer via a connecting channel, as well as an electronic control system and sensors and electromotive actuators connected thereto, wherein the mixer and the distributor are designed as cartridges having electromotive actuators and the cartridges are designed as valves having axial and/or radial inlets and outlets through which a flow can pass axially, which have disks which are arranged radially in the interior and on top of one another and each have at least one passage opening, of which in each case one disk is rotatable on a stator disk, wherein the rotatable disk is in engagement with an axially rotatable sleeve which is axially arranged in the respective valve and the cavity of which can be flowed through, and said sleeve is operatively connected at its outer circumference to the respective electromotive actuator.
The inventive design principle of such compact cartridges with motor drive via the outer circumference of a sleeve arranged axially in the valve, through which a flow can pass in its cavity and which can be rotated axially, is described in even greater detail for an axial flow control valve in the as yet unpublished PCT application of the same applicant with the number PCT/EP2018/075352, and this is &so hereby declared to be part of the disclosure content of the present application.
In one embodiment of the functional unit according to the invention, both the inlet and the outlet are arranged axially in both cartridges.
In another embodiment of the functional unit according to the invention, the inlet of the mixer cartridge is arranged axially and the outlet is arranged radially, and the inlet of the distributor cartridge is arranged radially and the outlet is arranged axially.
The location of the outlet from the mixer cartridge and the inlet into the distributor cartridge can have an influence on the geometry of the connecting channel.
Preferably, in the functional unit according to the invention, the axially rotatable sleeves have toothing on theft outer circumference.
Preferably, the electromotive actuators of the functional unit according to the invention have a gear unit and a drive wheel designed as a gearwheel.
In one embodiment, in the functional unit according to the invention, the drive wheel designed as a gearwheel is operatively connected by means of a toothed belt to the toothing on the outer circumference of the respective axially rotatable sleeve.
In another, preferred embodiment, the drive wheel designed as a gearwheel engages in the toothing on the outer circumference of the respective axially rotatable sleeve, and the respective sleeve is thus operatively connected to the respective electromotive actuator.
In the functional unit according to the invention, the electromotive actuators are preferably stepper motors or DC motors.
In the functional unit according to the invention, at least one temperature sensor is preferably installed in the connecting channel between the mixer and the distributor, and/or at the outlet of the mixer, and/or at the inlet of the distributor, which acts on the actuator of the mixer via a closed-loop control integrated in the electronic control system.
Preferably, in the functional unit according to the invention, a flow sensor is installed in the connecting channel between the mixer and the distributor.
The distributor of the functional unit according to the invention preferably has one, two or three outlets for mixed water, which can be selected via an operating unit connected to the electronic control system.
Advantageously, in the functional unit according to the invention, the mixer and the distributor with the connecting channel are preferably arranged in such a way that the inflows to the mixer and the outlets of the distributor are on the same side, so that the functional unit can be mounted on a fitting connector with corresponding openings. Preferably, a functional unit designed in this way is accommodated with its components in a compact housing.
In a particular embodiment of the functional unit according to the invention, the functional unit and the fitting connector are integrally formed together.
The present invention also includes the use of a functional unit according to the invention for sanitary installations. Such sanitary installations are preferably concealed sanitary installations in bathrooms for showers and/or bathtubs.
When using a functional unit according to the invention, the sanitary installations comprise a cold-water connection and a hot-water connection to the respective connecting pieces of a fitting connector, and preferably one, two or three outlets to corresponding connecting pieces for mixed water, which is provided by a functional unit mounted on a base body region with mating surfaces of the fitting connector. A functional unit according to the invention is thus preferably mounted on a fitting connector with corresponding fitting surfaces and openings for the water passages.
A fitting connector is the core of a so-called basic unit, which is usually installed flush-mounted. A shower or bathtub fitting having a functional unit according to the invention is thus preferably mounted on a fitting connector installed in the wall. A fitting connector has at least three connection pieces for water lines namely for cold water and hot water, as well as for at least one mixed-water outlet.
For installation in a bathroom, a functional unit according to the invention often has two mixed-water outlets, wherein in the case of a shower the outlet of the mixed water can be selected via the overhead shower and/or the hand shower, or in the case of a bathtub, where the bathtub fitting can be used to select between the bathtub inlet and a shower head.
A functional unit according to the invention can preferably be mounted directly or, optionally, with an intermediate adapter plate on a fitting connector. By means of an adapter plate, a possibly mismatching hole arrangement of the openings between the fitting surfaces of the fitting connector and the functional unit could be bridged.
Preferably, the fitting connector, on which a functional unit according to the invention is mounted or is integrally formed together with it, has movable connection pieces.
A fitting connector with movable connection piece is described in more detail in the not yet published PCT application of the same applicant with file number PCT/EP2019/051432, and this is hereby also declared to be part of the disclosure content of the present application.
In the following, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to figures illustrating examples without limiting the scope of the present invention, wherein:
Finally,
At this point, it should be noted that any combinations of the features described and/or shown in the figures are within the scope of the present invention as long as the combinations are not inconsistent
As can be seen from the description and the explanations of the fixtures, the present invention provides an advantageous and compact alternative solution for a functional unit, This can be mounted in a simple manner on a fitting connector with corresponding openings or can also be designed integrally together ,with a fitting connector.
Identical reference signs in the figures indicate corresponding features, even if not explicitly referred to in the description of the individual figures in each case.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2019/053626 | 2/14/2019 | WO | 00 |