The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 25, 2021
Filed:
Sep. 11, 2015
Taco, Inc., Cranston, RI (US);
Andre Renaud, Coventry, RI (US);
Peter Vandal, Mattapoisett, MA (US);
Taco, Inc., Cranston, RI (US);
Abstract
An improved, wholly mechanical, valve unit is provided to automatically allow for flow between a high temperature liquid line and a cooler temperature liquid line in order to maintain the immediate availability of hot liquid immediately upstream of the valve, especially for hot water used in a building. The valve unit of the present invention includes a thermally-activated, bi-metal, or more broadly bi-flexive, valve disc, and a smaller diameter valve seat that concentrically contacts the valve disc intermediate the outer circumference and the center of the disc. The bi-flexive disc is provided two-sided, circumferential support, thus substantially equalizing the pressure against both sides of the disc, even when in the closed valve position between the higher temperature, higher pressure, hot water line and the lower pressure cold water line. The valve opens when the temperature differential across the valve disc decreases below a preset amount.