ELECTRONIC SHOWER SYSTEM

• US 20130062422A1
• Filed: 05/23/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Marty, Garry R., Huffington, Todd, O'Cull, Larry D., Jonte, Patrick B., Davidson, Kyle R., Johnson, Brian W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,632,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/12.16
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/055 Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/13 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/132 by controlling the flow of the individual components G05D11/133 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/13 by varying the mixing ratio of two fluids having different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1306 for liquids G05D23/1393 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic shower system including a mixing valve operably coupled to a mixing valve drive, and a diverter valve operably coupled to a diverter valve drive and in fluid communication with the mixing valve. A controller is in communication with the mixing valve drive and the diverter valve drive. A user interface includes a removable module in communication with the controller.

Claims

1. An electronic shower system comprising:

a rough assembly including a housing, a mixing valve body supported by the housing, the rough assembly received within a cavity of a shower wall and coupled behind an outer surface of the shower wall;

a valve assembly including a mixing valve received within the mixing valve body;

a drive assembly including a mixing valve drive operably coupled to the mixing valve; and

a main user interface including a controller in electrical communication with the drive assembly, the main user interface coupled in front of the outer surface of the shower wall and covering the cavity of the shower wall receiving the rough assembly.

2. The electronic shower system of claim 1, further comprising:

a diverter valve body supported by the housing and fluidly coupled to the mixing valve body;

a diverter valve received within the diverter valve body; and

a diverter valve drive operably coupled to the diverter valve.

3. The electronic shower system of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly is fluidly coupled to an overhead showerhead supported by the shower wall, the rough assembly and the user interface being positioned in substantial vertical alignment below the overhead showerhead.

4. The electronic shower system of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a mount coupled to the rough assembly in front of the outer surface of the shower wall, and a user interface module configured to receive input from the user and releasably coupled to the mount.

5. The electronic shower system of claim 4, wherein the user interface module comprises a touch screen.

6. The electronic shower system of claim 1, wherein the mixing valve drive includes a motor configured to operate the mixing valve, and a manual override including an input button for disengaging the motor from the mixing valve based upon manual input from a user.

7. The electronic shower system of claim 1, further comprising a battery operably coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to detect the loss of external power and the battery is configured to operate the mixing valve drive a predetermined time following the detected loss of external power.

8. The electronic shower system of claim 1, further comprising a remote user interface in wireless communication with the controller, wherein the controller provides priority to operation of the main user interface over the remote user interface.

9. The electronic shower system of claim 8, wherein operation of the remote user interface provides an override notification at the main user interface.

10. The electronic shower system of claim 1, further comprising a hand shower including a hand shower user interface in wireless communication with the controller.

11. The electronic shower system of claim 10, wherein the hand shower user interface is removably coupled to the hand shower.

12. An electronic shower user interface comprising:

a mount configured to be secured to a vertical wall;

a user interface module including a touch sensor received within a sealed enclosure;

a controller in communication with the user interface; and

a coupler to releasably secure the user interface to the mount.

13. The electronic shower system of claim 12, wherein the touch sensor comprises a resistive touch screen.

14. The electronic shower system of claim 12, further comprising a mixing valve fluidly coupled to a hot water supply and a cold water supply, and a mixing valve drive operably coupled to the mixing valve for controlling the proportion of water from the hot water supply and the cold water supply provided to an outlet, wherein the user interface module is positioned in front of the vertical wall, and the mixing valve is positioned behind the vertical wall and the user interface module.

15. The electronic shower system of claim 14, further comprising a diverter valve fluidly coupled to the mixing valve, and a diverter valve drive operably coupled to the diverter valve for controlling the delivery of water from the mixing valve to at least one of the plurality of outlets, wherein the diverter valve is positioned behind the vertical wall and the user interface module.

16. The electronic shower system of claim 14, wherein the mixing valve drive includes a motor configured to operate the mixing valve, and a manual override including an input button for disengaging the motor from the mixing valve based upon manual input from a user.

17. The electronic shower system of claim 14, further comprising a battery operably coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to detect the loss of external power and the battery is configured to operate the mixing valve drive a predetermined time following the detected loss of external power.

18. The electronic shower system of claim 12, further comprising a remote user interface in wireless communication with the controller, wherein the controller provides priority to operation of the user interface module over the remote user interface.

19. The electronic shower system of claim 18, wherein operation of the remote user interface provides an override notification at the user interface module.

20. The electronic shower system of claim 12, further comprising a hand shower including a hand shower user interface in wireless communication with the controller.

21. The electronic shower system of claim 19, wherein the hand shower user interface is removably coupled to the hand shower.

22. An electronic shower system comprising:

a diverter valve;

a diverter valve drive operably coupled to the diverter valve for controlling the delivery of water from the diverter valve to at least one of a plurality of outlets;

a controller operably coupled to the diverter valve drive; and

wherein the diverter valve includes a rotatable valve plate configured to be moved between a plurality of rotational positions to direct flow from an inlet to at least one selected first and second fluid outlets and to control flow rate to the at least one selected first and second fluid outlet.

23. The electronic shower system of claim 22, wherein the diverter valve includes a second valve plate cooperating with the rotatable valve plate and including a first port fluidly coupled to the first fluid outlet and a second port fluidly coupled to the second fluid outlet, the rotatable valve plate including an opening in selective fluid communication with at least one of the first port and the second port based upon the rotational position of the rotatable valve plate.

24. The electronic shower of claim 23, wherein the rotational positions of the rotatable valve plate define a high flow rate of water through the first fluid outlet, a high flow rate of water through the second fluid outlet, a medium flow rate of water through the first fluid outlet, a medium flow rate of water through the second fluid outlet, a low flow rate of water through the first fluid outlet, and a low flow rate of water through the second fluid outlet.

25. The electronic shower of claim 24, wherein rotational position of the rotatable valve plate further defines no flow through either the first fluid outlet or the second fluid outlet.

26. The electronic shower of claim 22, further comprising:

a mixing valve having inlets fluidly coupled to a hot water supply and a cold water supply, and an outlet fluidly coupled to the diverter valve; and

a mixing valve drive in communication with the controller and operably coupled to the mixing valve for controlling the proportion of water from the hot water supply and the cold water supply provided to the outlet.

27. The electronic shower of claim 26, further comprising a main user interface module including a temperature input portion and a flow rate input portion, the temperature input portion configured to cause the controller to control the mixing valve, and the flow rate input portion configured to cause the controller to control the diverter valve.

28. An electronic shower system comprising:

a mixing valve fluidly coupled to a hot water supply and a cold water supply;

a mixing valve drive operably coupled to the mixing valve for controlling the proportion of water from the hot water supply and the cold water supply provided to an outlet;

a diverter valve fluidly coupled to the mixing valve;

a diverter valve drive operably coupled to the diverter valve for controlling the delivery of water from the mixing valve to at least one of a plurality of outlets; and

a controller operably coupled to the mixing valve drive and the diverter valve drive.

29. The electronic shower system of claim 28, further comprising a temperature sensor positioned downstream from the mixing valve and in communication with the controller.

30. The electronic shower system of claim 29, wherein the controller is configured to determine the lack of available hot water from the hot water supply based upon the orientation of the mixing valve and temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.

31. The electronic shower system of claim 29, wherein the controller provides a warm up function based upon input from the temperature sensor.

32. The electronic shower system of claim 28, wherein the diverter valve drive controls the flow rate of water delivered to the selected at least one outlet.

33. The electronic shower system of claim 28, further comprising a pressure balancing valve fluidly coupled to the mixing valve.

34. The electronic shower system of claim 33, wherein the pressure balancing valve includes a spool including a first portion fluidly coupled to the hot water supply and a second portion fluidly coupled to the cold water supply, the spool configured to move in response to changes in differential pressure between the first portion and the second portion.

35. The electronic shower system of claim 28, wherein the mixing valve drive includes a motor configured to operate the mixing valve, and a manual override including an input button for disengaging the motor from the mixing valve based upon manual input from a user.

36. The electronic shower system of claim 28, further comprising a battery operably coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to detect the loss of external power and the battery is configured to operate the mixing valve drive a predetermined time following the detected loss of external power.

37. The electronic shower system of claim 28, wherein the mixing valve and the mixing valve drive are received with a housing supported behind a shower wall, and a user interface is operably coupled to the housing and supported in front of the shower wall.

38. An electronic shower system comprising:

a mixing valve fluidly coupled to a hot water supply and a cold water supply;

a mixing valve drive operably coupled to the mixing valve for controlling the proportion of water from the hot water supply and the cold water supply provided to an outlet;

a controller in electrical communication with the mixing valve drive;

a position sensor operably coupled to the mixing valve drive for detecting a position of the mixing valve, the position sensor in electrical communication with the controller;

a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of water supplied by the mixing valve, the temperature sensor in electrical communication with the controller; and

wherein the controller associates the sensed position of the mixing valve from the position sensor with the measured temperature of water from the temperature sensor to predict valve position for a desired outlet water temperature.

39. The electronic shower system of claim 38, wherein the mixing valve drive includes an electric motor, a drive gear operably coupled to the motor, a driven gear operably coupled to the mixing valve, and a transmission coupling the drive gear with the driven gear, the position sensor including a position gear operably coupled to the transmission.

40. The electronic shower system of claim 39, wherein the transmission includes a belt, and the position sensor includes a potentiometer operably coupled to the position gear.

41. The electronic shower system of claim 40, wherein the mixing valve drive further includes a spring biased tensioner operably coupled to the belt.

42. The electronic shower system of claim 39, wherein the driven gear and the position gear include indicators, the home position of the mixing valve being defined when the indicators are aligned and directed toward each other, the home position being the closed position of the mixing valve.

43. The electronic shower system of claim 38, further comprising:

a diverter valve fluidly coupled to the mixing valve; and

a diverter valve drive operably coupled to the diverter valve for controlling the delivery of water from the mixing valve to at least one of a plurality of outlets, the diverter valve drive in electrical communication with the controller.

44. The electronic shower system of claim 43, wherein the diverter valve directs water to a selected outlet and the flow rate of water delivered to the selected outlet.