WATER DELIVERY DEVICE WITH FLOW CONTROL VALVE
A water delivery device includes a flow control valve that includes a valve inlet configured to receive a fluid, a valve outlet configured to output the fluid, and a valve member assembly for controlling the fluid flow through the flow control valve. The valve member assembly and the valve inlet are configured such that, when in use, fluid flowing through the flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly. The water delivery device is selected from the group consisting of an instantaneous hot water heater, a faucet, and an electric shower.
1 . A water delivery device comprising:
a flow control valve comprising a valve inlet configured to receive a fluid, a valve outlet configured to output the fluid, and a valve member assembly for controlling the fluid flow through the flow control valve;
wherein the valve member assembly and the valve inlet are configured such that, when in use, fluid flowing through the flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly; and
wherein the water delivery device is selected from the group consisting of an instantaneous hot water heater, a faucet, and an electric shower.
2 . The water delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the valve member assembly comprises a first valve member configured to engage with a first valve seat in a closed position of the flow control valve and a second valve member configured to engage with a second, separate, valve seat in the closed position of the flow control valve, wherein the first valve member is arranged to be urged closed by fluid entering through the valve inlet and the second valve member is arranged to be urged open by fluid entering through the valve inlet.
3 . The water delivery device of claim 2 , wherein the valve inlet is located between the first valve member and the second valve member.
4 . The water delivery device of claim 3 , wherein the valve inlet opens into a valve inlet chamber defined by a chamber wall having a first valve outlet and a second valve outlet formed therein.
5 . The water delivery device of claim 4 , wherein the first valve seat is associated with the first valve outlet and the second valve seat is associated with the second valve outlet.
6 . The water delivery device of claim 4 , wherein the first and second valve outlets are of similar size.
7 . The water delivery device of claim 4 , wherein the first and second valve outlets are axially aligned.
8 . The water delivery device of claim 2 , wherein the first and second valve members are connected to a spool coupled to an actuator which controls the position of the valve members relative to their respective valve seats.
9 . The water delivery device of claim 8 , wherein the actuator comprises an electrically powered motor.
10 . The water delivery device of claim 9 , wherein the motor comprises a stepper motor.
11 . The water delivery device of claim 4 , wherein the valve seats are located within the valve outlets.
12 . The water delivery device of claim 11 , wherein the valve seats include a cylindrical bore portion of the valve outlets in which the valve members are slidably received in the closed position.
13 . The water delivery device of claim 4 , wherein the valve seats are located at one end of the valve outlets.
14 . The water delivery device of claim 13 , wherein the valve seats include an end face of the valve outlets against which the valve members seat in the closed position.
15 . The water delivery device of claim 4 , wherein the flow control valve includes an outlet chamber that includes the fluid outlet and is arranged to receive fluid from the first and second valve outlets.
16 . The water delivery device of claim 15 , wherein the first valve member is received in the valve inlet chamber in an open position of the flow control valve and the second valve member is received in the outlet chamber in the open position of the flow control valve.
17 . The water delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the valve includes a housing that houses the flow control valve and includes apertures that form the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet.
18 . The water delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the housing is made of metal or alloy and includes an electrically powered heating device for thermally disinfecting the valve.
19 . The water delivery device of claim 18 , further comprising a controller configured to disable the valve to prevent discharge of water during a thermal disinfection cycle in which the electrically powered heating device is active.
20 . The water delivery device of claim 19 , wherein the thermal disinfection cycle includes a heating cycle to heat the housing to a temperature sufficient to disinfect waterways within the housing and a cool down cycle to allow the housing and water contained in the valve to cool down after the heating cycle.
21 . The water delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the valve is connected to a supply of water and is configured to be controlled in response to water flow rate.
22 . The water delivery device of claim 21 , further comprising a sensor device configured to monitor flow rate of the outlet water and the controller is configured to control the valve to achieve and maintain a user selected flow rate.
23 . A plumbing fixture comprising:
a valve inlet configured to receive a fluid;
a valve outlet chamber having a fluid outlet for outputting the fluid;
wherein the flow control valve is configured to control the flow of fluid into the outlet chamber;
wherein the flow control valve includes at least two separate valve outlets into the outlet chamber; and
wherein the plumbing fixture is selected from the group consisting of an instantaneous hot water heater, a faucet, and an electric shower.
24 . The plumbing fixture of claim 23 , wherein the valve inlet opens into an elongate valve inlet chamber having two separate valve outlets formed at substantially opposite ends of the valve chamber, with the valve inlet located between the valve outlets.
25 . The plumbing fixture of claim 23 , wherein the flow control valve includes a valve member assembly to control the flow through the control valve that is balanced such that fluid flowing through the control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly.
26 . The plumbing fixture of claim 25 , wherein the valve member assembly comprises a first valve member adapted to engage with a first valve seat associated with a first of the two valve outlets in a closed position of the flow control valve and a second valve member adapted to engage with a second, separate, valve seat associated with a second of the two valve outlets in the closed position of the flow control valve.
27 . The plumbing fixture of claim 26 , wherein the first valve member is arranged to be urged closed by fluid entering the inlet chamber through the inlet and the second valve member is arranged to be urged open by fluid entering the inlet chamber through the inlet.
28 . The plumbing fixture of claim 26 , wherein the first and second valve members are connected to a spool coupled to an actuator which controls the position of the valve members relative to their respective valve seats.
29 . The plumbing fixture of claim 28 , wherein the actuator comprises an electrically powered motor.
30 . The plumbing fixture of claim 29 , wherein the motor comprises a stepper motor.
31 . The plumbing fixture of claim 26 , wherein the valve seats are located within the valve outlets.
32 . The plumbing fixture of claim 31 , wherein the valve seats include a cylindrical bore portion of the valve outlets in which the valve members are slidably received in the closed position.
33 . The plumbing fixture of claim 26 , wherein the valve seats are located at one end of the valve outlets.
34 . The plumbing fixture of claim 33 , wherein the valve seats include an end face of the valve outlets against which the valve members seat in the closed position.
35 . The plumbing fixture of claim 26 , wherein the first valve member is received in the valve inlet chamber in an open position of the flow control valve and the second valve member is received in the outlet chamber in the open position of the flow control valve.
36 . The plumbing fixture of claim 23 , wherein the valve includes a housing that houses the flow control valve and includes apertures that form the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet.
37 . The plumbing fixture of claim 36 , wherein the housing is made of metal or alloy and includes an electrically powered heating device for thermally disinfecting the valve.
38 . The plumbing fixture of claim 37 , further comprising a controller configured to disable the valve to prevent discharge of water during a thermal disinfection cycle in which the electrically powered heating device is active.
39 . The plumbing fixture of claim 38 , wherein the thermal disinfection cycle includes a heating cycle to heat the housing to a temperature sufficient to disinfect waterways within the housing and a cool down cycle to allow the housing and water contained in the valve to cool down after the heating cycle.
40 . The plumbing fixture of claim 23 , wherein the valve is connected to a supply of water and is configured to be controlled in response to water flow rate.
41 . The plumbing fixture of claim 40 , further comprising a sensor device configured to monitor flow rate of the outlet water and the controller is configured to control the valve to achieve and maintain a user selected flow rate.
42 . The plumbing fixture of claim 23 , wherein the valve outlets are of similar size.
43 . The water delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the plumbing fixture is an instantaneous hot water heater.
44 . The water delivery device of claim 42 , wherein the instantaneous hot water heater is configured to achieve a selected outlet water temperature based on the flow rate of water through a heater tank.
45 . The water delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the water delivery device is a faucet.
46 . The water delivery device of claim 1 , wherein the water delivery device is an electric shower.
47 . The plumbing fixture of claim 23 , wherein the plumbing fixture is an instantaneous hot water heater.
48 . The plumbing fixture of claim 1 , wherein the plumbing fixture is a faucet.
49 . The plumbing fixture of claim 1 , wherein the plumbing fixture is an electric shower.