Manual override for electronic proportioning valve

• US 7,584,898 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Masco Corporation Of Indiana (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Belz, Jeffrey, Schmitt, Randall Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman; Marc E
• Application Number:
  US11/173,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20070001018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 236/12.11, 236/12.12, 236/93.R, 137/357, 137/359, 137/360
• US Class Current: 236/12.12
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/05 Arrangements of devices on wash-basins, baths, sinks, or the like for remote control of taps remote control of taps or the like per se F16K
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1393 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6977 Escutcheon type support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/698 Wall

Abstract

A valve system including a manual control mechanism configured to move a valve member.

Claims

1. A valve assembly configured to be positioned within a wall including an access opening, the valve assembly comprising:

a valve configured to be coupled to a water source, the valve including a movable valve member configured to control the flow of water therethrough;

an electric actuator operably coupled to the valve and configured to move the valve member;

a cover configured to be supported by the wall to conceal the access opening;

a sensor configured to detect the position of the cover relative to the access opening and generate a signal indicative thereof; and

a controller in electrical communication with the sensor and configured to selectively disable operation of the electric actuator in response to the signal from the sensor indicative of the position of the cover relative to the access opening.

2. The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising a light positioned behind the wall and which is activated by the controller when the cover is not detected by the sensor.

3. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises an electric motor.

4. The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising a manual control mechanism operably coupled to the valve member, the manual control mechanism including a control shaft and a handle configured to rotate the control shaft.

5. The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising an escutcheon supported by the wall and operably coupled to the cover, the sensor being supported by the escutcheon.

6. The valve assembly of claim 5, further comprising coupling members supported by the escutcheon and configured to releasably secure the cover to the escutcheon.

7. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is in a manual mode of operation when the sensor detects that the cover is removed from the access opening.

8. The valve assembly of claim 7, wherein the controller is in an automatic mode of operation when the sensor detects that the cover is concealing the access opening.

9. The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising a magnet supported by the cover, and wherein the sensor comprises a Hall-effect sensor configured to detect the magnet.

10. A valve assembly configured to be positioned within a wall behind an access opening, the valve assembly comprising:

a first valve configured to be coupled to a first fluid source, the first valve including a movable valve member configured to control the flow of a first fluid therethrough;

a first actuator operably coupled to the first valve and configured to move the valve member of the first valve in an automatic mode of operation;

a first manual handle accessible through the access opening and operably coupled to the first valve, the first manual handle being configured to move the valve member of the first valve in a manual mode of operation;

a cover configured to be supported by the wall to conceal the first manual handle;

a cover sensor configured to detect the position of the cover relative to the access opening; and

a controller in communication with the cover sensor and configured to operate in the manual mode of operation when the cover sensor does not detect the cover.

11. The valve assembly of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to operate in the automatic mode of operation when the cover sensor detects the cover.

12. The valve assembly of claim 10, further comprising a light which is activated by the controller when in the manual mode of operation.

13. The valve assembly of claim 10, wherein the first actuator comprises an electric motor.

14. The valve assembly of claim 10, further comprising:

a second valve configured to be coupled to a second fluid source, the second valve including a movable valve member configured to control the flow of a second fluid therethrough;

a second actuator operably coupled to the second valve and configured to move the valve member of the second valve in the automatic mode of operation; and

a second manual handle accessible through the access opening and operably coupled to the second valve, the second manual handle being configured to move the valve member of the second valve in the manual mode of operation.

15. The valve assembly of claim 14, further comprising:

a first fluid sensor configured to measure at least one characteristic of the first fluid;

a second fluid sensor configured to measure at least one characteristic of the second fluid; and

wherein in the automatic mode of operation, the controller is configured to operate in at least a feed forward manner providing for movement of the valve member of the first valve and the valve member of the second valve based on the at least one characteristic of the first fluid and the at least one characteristic of the second fluid.

16. The valve assembly of claim 15, wherein the at least one characteristic of the first fluid includes at least one of the temperature of the first fluid and the pressure of the first fluid, and the at least one characteristic of the second fluid includes at least one of the temperature of the second fluid and the pressure of the second fluid.

17. The valve assembly of claim 10, further comprising an escutcheon supported by the wall and operably coupled to the cover, the cover sensor being supported by the escutcheon.

18. The valve assembly of claim 17, further comprising coupling members supported by the escutcheon and configured to releasably secure the cover to the escutcheon.