Water control valve assembly

Abstract

A water control valve assembly includes a valve manifold having a mixing chamber for mixing water from a supply of hot water and a supply of cold water. The valve manifold has a water control element controlling the flow of water from the mixing chamber to a discharge port of the valve manifold. A thermostatically controlled bypass valve is in fluid communication with the valve manifold, wherein the bypass valve is configured to bypass water from the supply of hot water to the supply of cold water.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A water control valve assembly, comprising:
 a valve manifold having a body including a hot water port, a cold water port, and a discharge port, the valve manifold having a mixing chamber in fluid communication with the hot water port, cold water port and discharge port for mixing water from a supply of hot water and a supply of cold water, and the valve manifold having a water control element coupled to the body for controlling the flow of water from the mixing chamber to the discharge port of the valve manifold; and   a bypass valve in fluid communication with the valve manifold, the bypass valve configured to bypass water from the supply of hot water to a bypass line.   
     
     
         2 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the body is a one-piece unitary structure. 
     
     
         3 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve includes a bypass valve housing being formed integral with the valve manifold. 
     
     
         4 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve includes a bypass valve housing being one of attached to the valve manifold or positioned adjacent to the valve manifold. 
     
     
         5 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve includes a thermal actuator. 
     
     
         6 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve includes a bypass valve housing having a hot water inlet port and a bypass port, the hot water inlet port being in fluid communication with the supply of hot water and the bypass port being in fluid communication with the bypass line. 
     
     
         7 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the valve manifold includes a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet both in fluid communication with the mixing chamber. 
     
     
         8 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the bypass line is one of a dedicated hot water return line and a cold water supply line. 
     
     
         9 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the valve manifold includes a hot water inlet and a cold water inlet, the bypass valve includes a bypass valve housing having a hot water port and a cold water port, the hot water port being in fluid communication with the water channeled through the hot water inlet and the cold water port being in fluid communication with the water channeled through the cold water inlet. 
     
     
         10 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a hot water bypass passage fluidly connecting the supply of hot water and the bypass valve; and   a bypass line passage fluidly connecting the bypass line and the bypass valve.   
     
     
         11 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the water control element controls an amount of water channeled to the mixing chamber from at least one of the supply of hot water and the supply of cold water. 
     
     
         12 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve opens to permit a flow of water from the supply of hot water to the bypass line based on an activation condition. 
     
     
         13 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve is thermostatically controlled and controls the flow of water from the supply of hot water to the bypass line until the temperature of the water at the mixing chamber is at a preset level. 
     
     
         14 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the bypass valve includes a thermal actuator received within a bypass passageway, the thermal actuator having an actuating body and a rod member, the rod member configured to retract and extend to open and close the bypass passageway based on a temperature of the water. 
     
     
         15 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the water control element is a valve cartridge. 
     
     
         16 . A water control valve assembly in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising multiple water control elements for controlling the flow of water to multiple discharge ports. 
     
     
         17 . A water control valve assembly, comprising:
 a valve manifold configured to be located proximate a fixture, the valve manifold having a body with a discharge port and the valve manifold having a water control element coupled to the body for controlling a flow of water from at least one of a hot water supply line and a cold water supply line to the discharge port of the valve manifold, the discharge port configured to be in fluid communication with the fixture; and   a bypass control unit in fluid communication with the valve manifold, the bypass control unit configured to bypass water from the hot water supple line to a bypass line.   
     
     
         18 . A water control valve assembly, comprising:
 a valve manifold including a body having a hot water inlet and a discharge port, the hot water inlet configured for connection to a supply of hot water and the discharge port configured to be in fluid communication with a fixture, the valve manifold further having a water control element for controlling the flow of water through the discharge port; and   a bypass valve in fluid communication with the valve manifold, the bypass valve having a thermal actuator positioned within the body being configured to bypass water from the supply of hot water to a bypass line.