Plumbing fixture with user interface

• US 10,000,914 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2016
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohler MIRA Limited (Kohler Company)
• Original Assignee: Kohler MIRA Limited (Kohler Company)
• Inventors: Peel, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAQUETTE, IAN G
• Application Number:
  US15/272,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20170009434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/18 Roses; Shower heads with means for adding soap or the like E03C1/046; jet regulators E03C1/08
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/24 incorporating means for heating the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. electrically
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/24 Applying particulate materials
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/006 Arrangements or methods for cleaning or refurbishing water conduits
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/074 Arrangement of water treatment devices
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/075 Arrangement of devices for control of pressure or flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/078 Combined units with different devices; Arrangement of different devices with respect to each other
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/02 Plumbing installations for fresh water
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/04 Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0404 Constructional or functional features of the spout
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0409 Shower handles
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/044 having a heating or cooling apparatus in the supply line water heaters, e.g. with continuous flow, F24H
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/055 Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 1/44 Details of seats or valve members of double-seat valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/22 with an actuating member for each valve, e.g. interconnected to form multiple-way valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/24 with an electromagnetically-operated valve, e.g. for washing machines
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 19/00 Arrangements of valves and flow lines specially adapted for mixing fluids multiple-way valves F16K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 19/006 Specially adapted for faucets
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/0263 multiple way valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/04 using a motor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 49/002 : Electric heating means
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/00 : Pipe-line systems conveying articles or materials through a pipe- line by means of a fluid carrier B65G51/00, B65G53/00; liquids B67D; special devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers into vehicles or boats or vice versa, e.g. loading or unloading vehicles or portable containers B67D7/00; conveying material which has been excavated by a dredger or soil shifter through a pipe-line E02F7/10; sewer pipe-line systems E03F3/00; thermal insulation of pipe-lines F16L59/00; central heating systems F24D
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/13 : characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/16 : Controlling mixing ratio of fluids having different temperatures, e.g. by sensing the temperature of a mixture of fluids having different viscosities
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1393 : characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1858 : by varying the mixing ratio of fluids having different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 : characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 : using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0617 : specially adapted for fluid materials
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 : Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0329 : Mixing of plural fluids of diverse characteristics or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0391 : Affecting flow by the addition of material or energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0424 : Liquid cleaning or flushing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6606 : With electric heating element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7759 : Responsive to change in rate of fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8376 : Combined
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8593 : Systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86389 : Programmer or timer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87668 : Single actuator operates plural flow control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87684 : Valve in each inlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87692 : With common valve operator

Abstract

A shower head having a stem, a spray head coupled to the stem and including a plurality of outlets for discharging water into at least one spray pattern, and a mixing valve located within the stem. The mixing valve has a housing having a first inlet, a second inlet and an outlet; a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of a first fluid from the first inlet to the outlet; and a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of a second fluid from the second inlet to the outlet. The shower head also has a touchscreen user interface located on a surface of the shower head, wherein the touchscreen user interface allows a user to control at least one of a temperature or a flow rate of fluid from the outlet to the spray head by controlling the first and second flow control valves.

Claims

1. A shower head comprising:

a stem for mounting the shower head;

a spray head coupled to the stem and including a plurality of outlets for discharging water to form at least one spray pattern;

a mixing valve located within the stem and comprising;

a housing having a first inlet, a second inlet and an outlet;

a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of a first fluid from the first inlet to the outlet; and

a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of a second fluid from the second inlet to the outlet; and

a touchscreen user interface located on a surface of the shower head, wherein the touchscreen user interface allows a user to control at least one of a temperature or a flow rate of fluid from the outlet to the spray head by controlling the first and second flow control valves.

2. The shower head of claim 1, wherein the shower head is a fixed shower head that is arranged to be fixed to and project from a wall of a shower enclosure.

3. The shower head of claim 1, further comprising an escutcheon, wherein the touchscreen user interface is located on the escutcheon.

4. The shower head of claim 1, wherein the shower head is a hand shower, the stem is a handle of the hand shower, and the touchscreen user interface is located on the handle.

5. The shower head of claim 4, further comprising a docking member that is configured to mount to a wall of a shower enclosure, wherein the handle is detachably received in the docking member.

6. The shower head of claim 1, wherein the touchscreen user interface allows the user to control the temperature and the flow rate of fluid from the outlet, and the touchscreen user interface comprises a display configured to display the temperature and the flow rate of the fluid exiting the spray head.

7. The shower head of claim 6, further comprising a spray head mount coupled to an end of the stem, wherein a portion of the spray head is received in an opening of the spray head mount and is pivotally coupled to the spray head mount through two opposing pivots, such that the spray head is pivotable relative to the spray head mount and the stem.

8. The shower head of claim 7, wherein the spray head is fluidly connected to the outlet of the mixing valve through an outlet conduit and at least one pivot of the two opposing pivots.

9. The shower head of claim 1, further comprising an actuator located within the stem and configured to control operation of the mixing valve.

10. The shower head of claim 9, wherein each of the first and second flow control valves includes a valve member assembly to control the fluid flow through the respective flow control valve, wherein each valve member assembly and the associated inlet are arranged such that, when in use, fluid flowing through the first flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the first flow control valve and fluid flowing through the second flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the second flow control valve.

11. The shower head of claim 9, wherein the actuator comprises:

a first stepper motor for controlling movement of the first flow control valve; and

a second stepper motor for controlling movement of the second flow control valve.

12. The shower head of claim 11, wherein each of the first and second stepper motors is mounted on a side of the housing that is opposite to the outlet of the mixing valve.

13. A shower head comprising:

a stem for mounting the shower head;

a spray head coupled to the stem and including a plurality of outlets for discharging water to form at least one spray pattern;

a mixing valve located within the shower head, the mixing valve comprising;

a mixing chamber;

a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of a first fluid from a first inlet to the mixing chamber; and

a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of a second fluid from a second inlet to the mixing chamber;

wherein at least one of the first flow control valve or the second flow control valve includes at least two separate outlets into the mixing chamber;

an actuator located in the shower head for controlling operation of the mixing valve; and

a touchscreen user interface located on a surface of the shower head, wherein the touchscreen user interface allows a user to control at least one of a temperature or a flow rate of fluid discharged from the spray head by controlling the actuator.

14. The shower head of claim 13, wherein both the first flow control valve and second flow control valve each includes at least two separate outlets into the mixing chamber.

15. The shower head of claim 14, wherein each flow control valve includes a valve member assembly comprising:

a first valve member that engages 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 that engages with a second, separate, valve seat associated with a second of the two valve outlets in the closed position of the flow control valve.

16. The shower head of claim 15, wherein the actuator comprises:

a first linear actuator for moving the valve member assembly of the first flow control valve; and

a second linear actuator for moving the valve member assembly of the second flow control valve.

17. A shower head mountable to a support surface, the shower head comprising:

a base configured to be secured to the support surface;

a spray head extending from the base and having at least one outlet;

a mixing valve located in the base or the spray head, the mixing valve comprising a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of a first fluid from a first inlet and a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of a second fluid from a second inlet, each of the first and second flow control valves including a valve member assembly to control the fluid flow through the respective flow control valve, the valve member assembly and the inlet of each of the first and second flow control valves arranged such that, when in use, fluid flowing through the first flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the first flow control valve and fluid flowing through the second flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the second flow control valve;

an actuator located in the shower head and configured to control operation of the mixing valve; and

a user interface located on an outer surface of the shower head, the user interface comprising a touch sensitive panel configured to allow a user to control at least one of a temperature or a flow rate of a fluid exiting the at least one outlet by controlling the mixing valve through the actuator.

18. The shower head of claim 17, wherein the user interface further comprises a display configured to display at least one of the temperature or the flow rate of the fluid exiting the at least one outlet.

19. The shower head of claim 18, wherein the touch sensitive panel comprises:

a first control that controls the temperature of the fluid exiting the at least one outlet;

a second control that controls the flow rate of the fluid exiting the at least one outlet; and

an on/off switch.

20. The shower head of claim 19, further comprising a controller in communication with the user interface for controlling the mixing valve through the actuator, wherein the controller and the actuator are both located within the shower head and proximate the mixing valve.