Friedrich Grohe Armaturenfabrik Gmbh+co.

Friedrich Grohe Aktiengesellschaft

Friedrich Grohe Ag & Co. Kg

Grohe Water Technology Ag & Co. Kg

Friedrich Grohe Armaturenfabrick Gmbh & Co.

Grohe Ag

Manfred Pawelzik

Horst Titze

Jurgen Humpert

Max Derr

Wolfgang Gebhardt

Dieter Kahle

Fred Hannemann

Jan R Kostorz

Hartwig Philipps-Liebich

Heinz Brandebusemeyer

William P Herring

Rudolf Haufe

Hans-J&uuml;rgen Ludewig

Rainer Smieja

Friedhelm Weise

Manfred Graf

Kerstin Polhaus

A mixing valve has a housing having hot- and cold-water inlets and at least one hot-, cold-, or mixed-water outlet. Respective hot- and cold-water valves in the housing each have a valve stem rotatable to control flow through the respective valve and carrying a respective externally toothed gear. Respective hot- and cold-water control rings rotatably mounted about a common axis on the housing each have internal teeth in continuous mesh in all angular positions of the valves and rings with the gears of the respective valves.

Mixer tap

A manually-operated valve is provided in series with an electromagnetically-operated valve and the manually-operated valve is provided with a proximity detector connected to the electronic controller whereby a switch in the manually-operated valve, in one position of the single control lever therefor, corresponding to about 50% of maximum supply rate, is operated to activate the proximity sensor and enable the water flow to be controlled by an object within its detection range. Removal of the object, e.g. the hand of the user from the range, will shut off the water through the manually-operated valve. Outside the position of the lever at which the switch is operated, the proximity detector is ineffective and control is effected exclusively by swinging the lever.

Valve system especially for a sanitary fixture

A mixing valve has a housing, a fixed valve plate in the housing having a flat outer surface generally centered on and perpendicular to a main axis and formed offset from the main axis with a pair of angularly offset and axially throughgoing inlet ports, and a movable valve plate in the housing having an inner surface flatly engaging the outer surface of the fixed valve plate and an opposite outer surface. The movable valve plate is formed with a pair of angularly offset and axially throughgoing inlet ports alignable with the fixed-plate inlet ports. The ports of one of the pairs of inlet ports are at different radial spacings from a center of the respective plate. An actuating lever is displaceable in the housing about the main axis and about a transverse axis crossing the main axis for shifting the movable plate between a closed position with both of the movable-plate inlet ports out of alignment with the fixed-plate inlet ports and blocked by the fixed-plate outer face, a pair of end positions with one of the movable-plate inlet ports aligned with one of the fixed-plate inlet ports and the other of the movable-plate inlet ports out of alignment with the other of the fixed-plate inlet ports, and an intermediate position with each of the movable-plate inlet ports partially overlapping the respective fixed-plate inlet port.

Single-control mixing valve

A valve cartridge has a hollow housing having an open end, a floor plate closing the open end and formed with a plurality of throughgoing ports each having an inner surface, a valve plate in the housing fixed atop the floor plate and formed with holes aligned with the floor-plate ports, a movable valve plate in the housing atop the fixed valve plate and formed with a cavity, and an actuating element connected to the movable valve plate for displacing the movable valve plate on the fixed plate and shifting the cavity into and out of engagement with the fixed-plate holes so that if one of the holes is supplied with water under pressure the actuating element can control flow from the one hole to the other hole. Respective annular seal rings made of an elastomeric plastic are received in the ports, formed in situ in the ports, and have outer surfaces bonded to the inner surfaces of the respective ports. The floor plate is made of a material that can bond to and slide relative to the plastic of the seal rings.

Seal system for water-value cartridge

A valve having an input and two outputs is provided with a stem extending radially from and pivotal about a transverse axis from a middle position to one end position directing flow from the input to one of the outputs and to an opposite end position directing flow from the input to the other of the outputs. A valve actuator assembly has a sleeve fixed to the valve and having a rim annularly surrounding and spaced from the stem and lying in a plane generally parallel to the axis and a handle fixed to the stem above the rim and forming a guide extending substantially parallel to the stem. A latch element having an outwardly projecting arm is displaceable in the guide between a rest position with the arm engageable with the rim and blocking displacement of the stem into the one end position and an actuated position unengageable with the rim and permitting displacement of the stem into the one end position. A spring operatively braced between the latch element and the handle urges the latch element into the rest position.

Actuating assembly for dual-output valve

A mixing valve has a housing holding a fixed valve plate a flat outer surface generally centered on and perpendicular to an axis and formed offset from the axis with a pair of angularly offset and axially throughgoing inlet ports and offset therefrom with a pair of axially throughgoing outlet ports. Hot and cold water is supplied under pressure to the inlet ports and passages in the housing connect the outlet ports to respective users, e.g. a faucet and a shower. A movable valve plate in the housing has an inner surface flatly engaging the outer surface of the fixed valve plate and an opposite outer surface and is formed with an axially throughgoing inlet port alignable with the fixed-plate inlet ports and offset from the respective inlet port an axially throughgoing outlet port alignable with the fixed-plate outlet ports. A cover element fixed in the housing to the outer surface of the movable plate forms a fluid-flow passage at the outer surface between the movable-plate inlet port and the movable-plate outlet port. An actuator can shift the cover element and movable plate between a closed position with one of the movable-plate ports out of alignment with the respective fixed-plate ports and blocked by the fixed-plate outer face and two open position in each of which the movable-plate inlet port aligned with at least one of the fixed-plate inlet ports and the movable-plate outlet port aligned with a respective one of the fixed-plate outlet ports.

A diverter valve has a housing forming an inlet for pressurized fluid and a pair of separate outlets connectable to respective users. A valve disk fixed in the housing is centered on an axis and has to one side of a diameter through the axis two axially throughgoing outlet ports each communicating with a respective one of the outlets and to the other side of the diameter an axially throughgoing inlet port communicating with the inlet. The ports are spaced about the axis and centered on a circle itself centered on the axis. A valve disk sitting on the fixed valve disk is movable in the housing about the axis. This movable valve disk is formed with a pair of axially throughgoing holes spaced about the axis and centered on the circle. A spindle rotatable in the housing about the axis is connected to the movable valve disk for displacing the movable valve disk from a central blocking position in which the holes overlap only the inlet port and between one end position in which one of the holes overlaps one of the outlet ports and the inlet port and permits fluid communication therebetween and another end position in which the other of the holes overlaps the other of the outlet ports and the inlet port and permits fluid communication therebetween.

Flow-diverter valve

A valve assembly has a housing forming an outlet, having an axis, and secured on a support surface. A support block in the housing has a pair of inlet ports adapted to be connected to pressurized feed lines and an output port communicating with the outlet of the housing. A valve cartridge sitting on the support block includes a casing centered on the housing axis and having a rear end formed with axially rearwardly directed bumps and a stack of disks in the casing including an end disk formed with ports provided with seals projecting axially forward past the casing to the respective support-block ports and at least one valve disk displaceable to vary flow from the inlet ports to the outlet port. A stem projecting axially rearward from the casing is displaceable to move the valve disk. A retaining sleeve formed with a screwthread threadedly engaging the housing is centered on the axis, surrounds the valve cartridge, has a front end bearing directly on the support block, and has a shoulder bearing axially forward on the bumps of the casing and pressing the seals into the support-block ports so that the casing is retained by the sleeve on the support block. A handle is mounted on the stem outside the housing.

Single-lever mixing valve with valve cartridge

A plumbing fixture has a housing defining a chamber and having a bottom wall forming an upper surface and formed with at least one inlet port opening at the upper surface. A cartridge assembly in the chamber having a bottom surface directly confronting the bottom-wall upper surface is formed with an inlet port opening on the bottom surface in line with the bottom-wall inlet port. An inlet conduit having an end fitting extending through the inlet port and into the inlet port is formed with an outwardly open circumferential groove generally level with the surfaces. A split and spreadable snap ring fitted to the groove bears on the floor. One of the ports closely surrounds the snap ring and prevents it from spreading and a seal ring engages around the end fitting in the inlet port of the cartridge assembly.

One-hole mount mixing faucet

A temperature indicator for use in combination with a plumbing fitting through which water passes has a core assembly including a display, a circuit module fixed to and driving the display, a temperature sensor connected to the circuit module, a pair of long battery contacts connected to the module, a finger extending from the module and carrying the long contacts, and a pair of short battery contacts connected to the module in parallel with the long contacts. An inner housing part interfitting with the fitting and traversed by the water is formed with a recess in which the sensor is engageable. A battery is connected to one of the pairs of contacts and the other pair is unused. An outer housing part mounted on the inner housing part carries the core assembly. The finger is constructed to break readily off the assembly.

Battery-powered temperature indicator for faucet

A switchover valve has a housing having an axis, a generally circular valve plate, and a generally circular control plate. The valve plate is fixed in the housing centered on the axis, has an inner face, and is formed with an outlet port and an inlet port both opening at the face. The ports are radially offset from the axis and angularly equispaced from each other. The control plate is rotatable about the axis in the housing, has an inner face flatly sealingly engaging the valve-plate face, and is formed offset from the axis with a crossflow pocket opening at the face. Thus the control plate is movable angularly about the axis between a crossflow position with the pocket overlying and forming a fluid-flow connection between the inlet port and the outlet port and a blocking position with the pocket wholly angularly offset from at least one of the ports and thereby preventing flow between the ports.

Switchover valve

A snap-ring assembly has a sleeve formed with a bore centered on an axis and having an axially outwardly open end formed with a radially inwardly open groove, a pipe having a collar projecting axially inward into the bore end past the groove, a snap ring seated in the groove and projecting axially into the bore to block outward displacement of the collar, and a seal ring in the bore between the collar and the sleeve. The sleeve is formed at its open end with an axially outwardly open notch extending axially inward generally to the groove so that a tool can be inserted in the groove under the snap ring to remove same from the groove.

Snap-ring assembly

A valve assembly adapted for connection to separate hot- and cold-water supply pipes has a core centered on an axis and formed with a pair of input passages having output ends and diametrally oppositely opening input ends and with an output passage having an output end and an input end and respective substantially identical input fittings formed with respective fitting passages and fitted diametrally oppositely to the core with the fitting passages opening into the input ends of the input passages. Respective connections carried on the input fittings communicate with the respective fitting passages. These connections are connected to the respective hot- and cold-water supply pipes. At least one valve is fixed in the core covering the output ends of the input passages and the input end of the output passage for feeding hot and cold water from the respective input passages to the output passage. An output fitting is fixed to the core over the output end of the output passage. The core is substantially cylindrical and the input ends of the input passages are threaded. The fittings have inner ends threaded into the input ends of the input passages and are provided with respective seal rings engaging the core. The core is provided with set screws or the like for locking the fittings against rotation in the input ends. To this end the inner ends of the fittings are formed with flats engaged by the respective screws.

Surface-mounting mixing valve

A seal ring is used in combination with a pair of substantially planar, confronting, and substantially parallel faces one of which is formed with an annular groove surrounding a pressurizable chamber and having inner and outer flanks extending transverse to the respective plate face. These faces are relatively slidable and can be formed on a valve plate and a control plate of a single-control valve. The ring is formed with an outer edge normally engaging outward against the outer flank of the groove, an inwardly projecting ridge defining an inner edge normally engaging inward against the inner flank of the groove, and a pair of lips flanking the ridge and each defining therewith an inwardly open groove. Each lip has an outer end lying outward of the inner edge and inward of the outer edge.

Seal ring for single-control faucet

A plumbing fitting has a flexible hose suppliable with water under pressure and having an outer end, an upstream end piece having an upstream side connected to the outer end and a downstream side, and a downstream end piece having a downstream side and an upstream side. An outer sleeve has an upstream end and a downstream end and respective couplings releasably connect the upstream end of the sleeve to the downstream side of the upstream end piece and the downstream end of the sleeve to the upstream side of the downstream end piece. An inner tube having a downstream end connected to the upstream side of the downstream end piece and an upstream end connected to the downstream side of the upstream end piece forms a flow conduit therebetween. Seals are provided at the ends of the tube between same and the respective sides of the end pieces.

Growing community of inventors

Soest, Germany

Manfred Pawelzik