Patent Application
20200025297
The present invention relates to a valve and more particularly to a water control valve.
Generally, referring to
However, the conventional water control valve is disadvantageous because: (i) the locking nut (53) is made of metal which is heavy and high-cost; (ii) the processing of screwing the locking nut (53) down to the protruding portion (514) is troublesome and inefficient. Therefore, there remains a need for a new and improved design for a water control valve to overcome the problems presented above.
The present invention provides a water control valve which comprises a main body, a valve core, a sealing unit and a handle. The main body has a valve chamber which is configured to accommodate the valve core, and a first tube portion is extended from a first side of the valve chamber while a second tube portion is extended from the other side thereof opposed to the first side. Also, the valve chamber, the first tube portion and the second tube portion are communicated, and the valve core has a second through hole laterally penetrating therethrough. The valve core in the valve chamber is configured to be driven by the handle to have rotation, and the second through hole is configured to be aligned or misaligned with the first tube portion and the second tube portion so as to enable the flow from the first tube portion to pass through or be blocked by the valve core. Additionally, the main body has a protruding portion formed at an outer periphery thereof, and a first through hole is adapted to vertically penetrate through the protruding portion to communicate with the valve chamber. The valve core is adapted to be put into the valve chamber through the first through hole, and a valve rod extending from a top surface of the valve core is configured to pass through the first through hole to stick out of the valve chamber. Moreover, the sealing unit is disposed on the valve rod, and the handle is connected to the valve rod thereafter. Furthermore, at least a sealing ring is disposed on an outer periphery of the valve core, and a locating groove is formed on an inner periphery of the first through hole. The sealing unit is formed integrally to have a connecting portion, and a stepped edge and a peripheral groove are respectively formed at an inner periphery and an outer periphery of the connecting portion. In addition, the stepped edge is configured to receive at least a first O-ring while at least a second O-ring is disposed on the peripheral groove so as to prevent the flow leaking from the inner and outer periphery of the sealing unit. Also, an inverted-truncated-cone-shaped sealer, which is flexible, is also formed at the outer periphery of the connecting portion so as to enable the sealing unit to be easily pressed into the first through hole. Moreover, when the sealing unit is pressed into the first through hole, the flexible sealer is adapted to abut against the inner surface of the first through hole and moved downwardly until the sealer is firmly engaged with the locating groove such that the sealing unit is configured to limit the valve core in the valve chamber.
Comparing with conventional water control valve, the present invention is advantageous because: (i) the sealing unit is formed integrally so as to reduce the weight of the water control valve and eliminate the trouble of additional processing; (ii) with the flexible sealer, the sealing unit can be easily pressed into the first through hole to limit the position of the valve core and achieve the sealing effect; and (iii) with the sealing unit, the assembly of the water control valve is simplified, and the manufacturing cost of the water control valve is also reduced.
The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently exemplary device provided in accordance with aspects of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be prepared or utilized. It is to be understood, rather, that the same or equivalent functions and components may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices and materials similar or equivalent to those described can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the exemplary methods, devices and materials are now described.
All publications mentioned are incorporated by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing, for example, the designs and methodologies that are described in the publications that might be used in connection with the presently described invention. The publications listed or discussed above, below and throughout the text are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.
In order to further understand the goal, characteristics and effect of the present invention, a number of embodiments along with the drawings are illustrated as following:
Referring to
In one embodiment, the sealer (304) is connected to a top edge of the peripheral groove (303).
Comparing with conventional water control valve, the present invention is advantageous because: (i) the sealing unit (30) is formed integrally so as to reduce the weight of the water control valve and eliminate the trouble of additional processing; (ii) with the flexible sealer (304), the sealing unit (30) can be easily pressed into the first through hole (15) to limit the position of the valve core (20) and achieve the sealing effect; and (iii) with the sealing unit (30), the assembly of the water control valve is simplified, and the manufacturing cost of the water control valve is also reduced.
Having described the invention by the description and illustrations above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description, but includes any equivalents.
