Valve cartridge with isolated friction and cartridge loads

1. A valve for controlling a flow rate of a fluid, the valve comprising:

an actuating mechanism including a ball portion;

a fluid control disk; and

an annular spring having a central opening and a plurality of elastic flanges extending around a periphery of the central opening,

wherein movement of the actuating mechanism is operable to move the fluid control disk to vary the flow rate of the fluid,

wherein the annular spring is disposed between the actuating mechanism and the fluid control disk,

wherein the elastic flanges of the annular spring extend below an upper surface of the annular spring, away from the ball portion of the actuating mechanism and toward the fluid control disk,

wherein at least a portion of the ball portion extends through the central opening of the annular spring,

wherein the annular spring maintains contact with the actuating mechanism during movement of the actuating mechanism, and

wherein the elastic flanges of the annular spring deform to exert a substantially uniform force on the ball portion of the actuating mechanism away from the fluid control disk.

2. The valve of claim 1 , wherein the actuating mechanism, the fluid control disk and the annular spring are disposed in a housing for installing in a valve body.

3. The valve of claim 2 , wherein the annular spring is connected to an inner surface of the housing.

4. A valve for controlling a flow rate and a mixture ratio of cold water and hot water, the valve comprising:

an actuating mechanism including a ball portion;

a movable control disk;

a fixed control disk; and

an annular spring having a central opening and a plurality of elastic flanges extending around a periphery of the central opening,

wherein movement of the actuating mechanism about a first axis is operable to move the movable control disk relative to the fixed control disk to vary the flow rate of at least one of the cold water and the hot water,

wherein movement of the actuating mechanism about a second axis is operable to move the movable control disk relative to the fixed control disk to vary the mixture ratio of the cold water and the hot water,

wherein the annular spring is disposed between the actuating mechanism and at least one of the movable control disk and the fixed control disk,

wherein the elastic flanges of the annular spring extend below an upper surface of the annular spring, away from the ball portion of the actuating mechanism and toward the movable control disk and the fixed control disk,

wherein at least a portion of the ball portion extends through the central opening of the annular spring,

wherein the annular spring maintains contact with the actuating mechanism during movement of the actuating mechanism, and

wherein the elastic flanges of the annular spring deform to exert a substantially uniform force on the ball portion of the actuating mechanism away from the movable control disk and the fixed control disk.

5. The valve of claim 4 , wherein the first axis is substantially perpendicular to the second axis.

6. The valve of claim 4 , wherein a housing defines a cavity that receives the actuating mechanism, the movable control disk, the fixed control disk and the annular spring,

wherein the housing has an inner surface,

wherein a portion of the inner surface of the housing has a shape that at least partially conforms to a shape of the ball portion,

wherein the annular spring exerts a force on the actuating mechanism away from the movable control disk and the fixed disk, and

wherein the force is operable to urge the ball portion of the actuating mechanism against that portion of the inner surface with the shape that conforms to the shape of the ball portion.

7. The valve of claim 6 , wherein a first frictional force encountered by movement of the actuating mechanism about the first axis is substantially the same as a second frictional force encountered by movement of the actuating mechanism about the second axis.

8. The valve of claim 6 , wherein the annular spring is connected to the inner surface of the housing.

9. The valve of claim 4 , wherein the ball portion of the actuating mechanism includes a projection,

wherein the projection extends through the central opening of the annular spring,

wherein the projection interfaces with a recess formed in the movable control disk and is operable to contact at least one side of the recess to translate movement of the actuating mechanism into movement of the movable control disk, and

wherein the projection does not contact a bottom surface of the recess during movement of the actuating mechanism.

10. The valve of claim 4 , further comprising a carrier,

wherein the carrier interfaces with the movable control disk,

wherein the actuating mechanism includes a projection,

wherein the projection extends through the central opening of the annular spring,

wherein the projection interfaces with a recess formed in the carrier and is operable to contact at least one side of the recess to translate movement of the actuating mechanism into movement of the carrier, and

wherein movement of the carrier results in movement of the movable control disk, and

wherein the projection does not contact a bottom surface of the recess during movement of the actuating mechanism.

11. A valve cartridge for controlling a flow rate of a fluid, the valve cartridge comprising:

an actuating mechanism including a ball portion;

a fluid control disk;

an annular spring having a central opening and a plurality of elastic flanges extending around a periphery of the central opening; and

a housing for installing in a valve body,

wherein the actuating mechanism, the fluid control disk and the annular spring are disposed in the housing, with the annular spring disposed between the actuating mechanism and the fluid control disk,

wherein the annular spring is connected to an inner surface of the housing,

wherein movement of the actuating mechanism is operable to move the fluid control disk to vary the flow rate of the fluid,

wherein the annular spring maintains contact with the actuating mechanism during movement of the actuating mechanism, and

wherein the elastic flanges of the annular spring deform to exert a substantially uniform force on the ball portion of the actuating mechanism away from the fluid control disk.

12. The valve cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the annular spring is welded to the inner surface of the housing.

13. The valve cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the annular spring is threaded to the inner surface of the housing.

14. The valve cartridge of claim 11 , wherein a plurality of notches are formed on an outer periphery of the annular spring,

wherein a plurality of tabs are formed on an inner surface of the housing, and

wherein the notches interface with the tabs to connect the annular spring to the inner surface of the housing.