Automatic water shut-off valve

• US 6,003,536 A
• Filed: 10/24/1996
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Watts Regulator Company (Watts Water Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Watts Investment Company
• Inventors: Polverari, Paul, Wolfhope, Stephen M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walton, George L.
• Application Number:
  US08/736,190
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 68/207, 68/208, 68/12.02, 68/12.16, 68/12.19, 68/12.21, 137/15, 137/360, 137/312, 137/315, 137/387, 137/392, 200/61.04, 200/61.05, 200/83 WM, 200/84 R, 307/118, 340/604, 340/605, 361/178, 29/402.03, 29/890.121, 134/57 R, 134/57 D, 134/56 D, 134/58 R, 134/58 D, 73/290 R, 73/304 R, 73/304 C, 73/313
• US Class Current: 137/15.08
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/47 Responding to irregular working conditions, e.g. malfunctioning of pumps safety arrangements D06F37/42
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/081 Safety arrangements for preventing water damage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0441 Repairing, securing, replacing, or servicing pipe joint, valve, or tank
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/5762 With leakage or drip collecting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/698 Wall
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/729 Washing machine cycle control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7306 Electrical characteristic sensing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49407 Repairing, converting, servicing or salvaging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49721 with disassembling

Abstract

An electrically actuated flow control device for use with an electrical household appliance includes a single body defining first and second flow passages. Inlet ends of the flow passages connect to pressurized sources of hot and cold water, and outlet ends of the flow passages connect to hoses for delivery of hot and cold water to the appliance. Hot and cold water actuators are each adapted to move between a first position resisting flow through the flow passages and a second position permitting flow through the flow passages. A sensor detects whether current is being drawn by the appliance, and a controller controls the positions of the actuators dependant upon whether current is being drawn. The inlet ends of the flow passage each include a connector arranged at a desired spacing from each other corresponding to the connector spacing in a mechanical flow control device.

Claims

1. An electrically actuated flow control device for use with an electrical household appliance, said device comprising:

a single body defining a first flow passage and a second flow passage, said first flow passage including an inlet end and an outlet end, and said second flow passage including an inlet end and an outlet end,

said inlet end of said first flow passage including a hot water connector for connection to a pressurized source of hot water, and said outlet end of said first flow passage for connection to a hose for delivery of hot water to the appliance,

said inlet end of said second flow passage including a cold water connector for connection to a pressurized source of cold water, and said outlet end of said second flow passage for connection to a hose for delivery of cold water to the appliance, said pressurized source of hot water terminating in a hot water supply and said pressurized source of cold water terminating in a cold water supply, said hot water supply and said cold water supply being spaced a predetermined fixed distance from each other, said hot water connector and said cold water connector being arranged at a corresponding predetermined fixed distance from each other,

a hot water actuator adapted for movement between a first position resisting flow through said first flow passage and a second position permitting flow through said first flow passage,

a cold water actuator adapted for movement between a first position resisting flow through said second flow passage and a second position permitting flow through said second flow passage,

a sensor for detecting a first condition of current being drawn by the electrical appliance for operation of the electrical appliance, and a second condition defining an absence of current being drawn by the electrical appliance during non-operation of the electrical appliance, and

a controller for controlling the positions of said first actuator and said second actuator dependent upon said condition detected by said sensor, said controller, in the presence of said first condition, permitting flow of hot water and cold water to the electrical appliance and, in the presence of said second condition, resisting flow of hot water and cold water to the electrical appliance to limit water damage due to rupture of the hoses.

2. The electrically actuated flow control device of claim 1 further comprising a second sensor for sensing water spillage from the hoses.

3. The electrically actuated flow control device of claim 1, wherein said device further comprises an electrical plug outlet for receiving an electrical plug of the electrical appliance.

4. The electrically actuated flow control device of claim 1, wherein said device further comprises an electrical plug for engagement in an electrical outlet.

5. A method for replacing a mechanical flow control device with an electrically actuated flow control device, comprising:

disconnecting the mechanical flow control device from a hot water supply and a cold water supply spaced a predetermined fixed distance from each other, the mechanical flow control device including a body defining a hot water connector for attachment to the hot water supply and a cold water connector for attachment to the cold water supply, the hot water connector and the cold water connector being spaced on the body a corresponding predetermined fixed distance from each other, and

connecting the electrically actuated flow control device to the hot water supply and to the cold water supply that the mechanical flow control device has been removed from, the electrically actuated flow control device comprising a body defining a hot water connector for attachment to the hot water supply and a cold water connector for attachment to the cold water supply, the hot water connector and the cold water connector being spaced on the body the same predetermined fixed distance from each other as the spacing of the mechanical flow control device hot water connector and cold water connector from each other.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of connecting the electrically actuated flow control device further comprises providing said device comprising a single body defining a first flow passage and a second flow passage, said first flow passage including an inlet end and an outlet end and said second flow passage including an inlet end and an outlet end, said inlet end of said first flow passage for connection to a pressurized source of hot water, and said outlet end of said first flow passage for connection to a hose for delivery of hot water to the appliance, said inlet end of said second flow passage for connection to a pressurized source of cold water, and said outlet end of said second flow passage for connection to a hose for delivery of cold water to the appliance, a hot water actuator adapted for movement between a first position resisting flow through said first flow passage and a second position permitting flow through said first flow passage, a cold water actuator adapted for movement between a first position resisting flow through said second flow passage and a second position permitting flow through said second flow passage, a sensor for detecting between a first condition of current being drawn by the electrical appliance and a second condition of absence of current being drawn by the electrical appliance, and a controller for controlling the positions of said first actuator and said second actuator dependant upon said condition detected by said sensor, said controller, in the presence of said first condition, permitting flow of hot water and cold water to the electrical appliance and, in the presence of said second condition, resisting flow of hot water and cold water to the electrical appliance.