User interface for controlling a bathroom plumbing fixture

• US 7,889,187 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohler Company
• Original Assignee: Kohler Company
• Inventors: Rexach, Rafael A., Freier, Donald P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEDELL, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US11/737,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20080259056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/184
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0408 Water installations especially for showers E03C1/06 takes precedence; shower heads B05B1/18
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/055 Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1393 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

A plumbing fixture is operated by a user interface that has an enclosure with a faceplate from which a pedestal seamlessly projects outward. An alphanumeric display is visible through the faceplate and a plurality of switches respond to the user pressing different portions of the faceplate. A selector includes a selector ring that has a plurality of permanent magnets and which is positioned to rotate around the pedestal. A Hall effect sensor of the selector is located adjacent the selector ring and produces an electrical signal in response to motion of the permanent magnets. The user interface also enables the selection of a plurality of predefined operating configurations for the plumbing fixture. An optional wireless remote control may be provided by which the user can activate and deactivate the plumbing fixture and select from among the predefined operating configurations.

Claims

1. A user interface which produces electrical signals for controlling a plumbing fixture, said user interface comprising:

a selector having a selector ring positioned to rotate around the pedestal and containing an annular arrangement of a plurality of permanent magnets, and having a Hall effect sensor located adjacent the selector ring and producing an electrical signal in response to motion of the plurality of permanent magnets;

a body of magnetic material mounted to the faceplate and to which at least one the plurality of permanent magnets is attracted to aid in retaining the selector ring around the pedestal; and

a plurality of switches each responding to a user pressing a different portion of the faceplate;

an enclosure having a faceplate with a surface that forms an exterior surface of the user interface and having a pedestal shaped as a cylinder that has a first end abutting and fixedly attached to the exterior surface and a closed second end spaced outwardly from the exterior surface, wherein the cylinder forms an exterior projection of the enclosure;

a display for presenting information to a user of the plumbing fixture, wherein the display is visible through the exterior surface of the faceplate;

a selector having a selector ring positioned to rotate around the pedestal and containing an annular arrangement of a plurality of permanent magnets, and having a Hall effect sensor located adjacent the selector ring and producing an electrical signal in response to motion of the plurality of permanent magnets;

a body of magnetic material mounted to the faceplate and to which at least one of the plurality of permanent magnets is attracted to aid in retaining the selector ring around the pedestal; and

a plurality of switches each responding to a user pressing a different portion of the faceplate.

2. The user interface as recited in claim 1 further comprising a controller connected to the display, the Hall effect sensor and the plurality of switches, wherein the controller responds to the electrical signal from the Hall effect sensor by determining whether the selector ring is rotating clockwise or counterclockwise around the pedestal.

3. The user interface as recited in claim 1 wherein selector ring is removable from around the pedestal without opening the enclosure.

4. The user interface as recited in claim 1 wherein the selector ring comprises:

a magnet retainer having a plurality of apertures within which the plurality of permanent magnets is received; and

an annular shell into which the magnet retainer is received in a manner that captivates the plurality of permanent magnets in the selector ring.

5. The user interface as recited in claim 1 further comprising an additional switch located on the pedestal.

6. The user interface as recited in claim 5 wherein the additional switch is operably connected to select a particular item of information that is shown on the display.

7. The user interface as recited in claim 6 wherein the selector functions to designate a particular item of information that is shown on the display and the additional switch functions to select that particular item.

8. The user interface as recited in claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of switches and the additional switch is one of a membrane switch and a capacitive switch.

9. The user interface as recited in claim 1 wherein the plurality of switches comprises a first switch for activating and deactivating the plumbing fixture, a second switch for selecting one of a plurality of preset operating configurations for the plumbing fixture, and a third switch for stepping the display through a sequence of information screens.

10. The user interface as recited in claim 1 wherein each at least one of the plurality of switches enables a user to select one of a plurality of preset operating configurations for the plumbing fixture.

11. The user interface as recited in claim 10 further comprising a wireless remote control comprising a first switch for activating and deactivating the plumbing fixture, a second switch for selecting one of the plurality of preset operating configurations, and a visual indicator designating each of the plurality of preset operating configurations.

12. A user interface which produces electrical signals for controlling a plumbing fixture, said user interface comprising:

an enclosure having a faceplate with a surface that forms an exterior surface of the user interface and having a pedestal shaped as a cylinder that has a first end abutting and fixedly attached to the exterior surface and a closed second end spaced outwardly from the exterior surface, wherein the cylinder forms an exterior projection of the enclosure;

a display for presenting information to a user of the plumbing fixture, wherein the display is visible through the exterior surface of the faceplate;

a selector having a selector ring positioned to rotate around the pedestal and containing an annular arrangement of a plurality of permanent magnets, each of the plurality of permanent magnets comprises a head with a shaft extending therefrom, and the selector ring comprises an annular magnet retainer with a plurality of apertures within each of which the shaft of one of the plurality of permanent magnets is received, and an annular shell having a bore with an internal shoulder, wherein the magnet retainer is secured in the bore with the head of each of the plurality of permanent magnets captivated between the annular magnet retainer and the internal shoulder, and the selector further having a Hall effect sensor located adjacent the selector ring and producing an electrical signal in response to motion of the plurality of permanent magnets; and

a plurality of switches each responding to a user pressing a different portion of the faceplate.

13. A user interface which produces electrical signals for controlling a plumbing fixture, said user interface comprising:

an enclosure having a faceplate with an exterior surface for viewing by users of the plumbing fixture and having a pedestal shaped as a cylinder that has a first end abutting and affixed to the exterior surface in a watertight manner and projecting outward from the exterior surface to a closed end, wherein the cylinder forms an exterior projection of the enclosure;

a display for alphanumeric characters and a cursor, wherein the display is visible through the exterior surface of the faceplate;

a rotatable selector coupled to the faceplate for moving the cursor on the display and comprising a selector ring rotatably positioned around the pedestal and containing a plurality of permanent magnets arranged annularly, and a Hall effect sensor located stationary adjacent the selector ring and producing an electrical signal in response to motion of the selector ring;

a body of magnetic material mounted to the faceplate adjacent the pedestal and to which the plurality of permanent magnets is attracted to aid in retaining the selector ring around the pedestal;

a plurality of switches each responding to a user pressing a different portion of the faceplate, wherein one of the plurality of switches functions to select an item on the display that is designated by the cursor, and another of the plurality of switches functions to select one of a plurality of preset operating configurations for the plumbing fixture; and

a wireless remote control comprising a first switch for activating and deactivating the plumbing fixture, a second switch for selecting one of the plurality of preset operating configurations, and a visual indicator designating each of the plurality of preset operating configurations.

14. The user interface as recited in claim 13 wherein the one of the plurality of switches is located on the pedestal.

15. The user interface as recited in claim 13 further comprising a controller connected to the display, the Hall effect sensor and plurality of switches, wherein the controller responds to the electrical signal from the Hall effect sensor by determining whether the selector ring is rotating clockwise or counterclockwise around the pedestal.

16. The user interface as recited in claim 13 wherein the selector ring is removable from around the pedestal without opening the enclosure.

17. The user interface as recited in claim 13 wherein:

each of the plurality of permanent magnets comprises a head with a shaft extending therefrom; and

the selector ring comprises an annular magnet retainer with a plurality of apertures within each of which the shaft of one of the plurality of permanent magnets is received, and an annular shell having a bore with an internal shoulder, wherein the magnet retainer is secured in the bore with the head of each of the plurality of permanent magnets captivated between the annular magnet retainer and the internal shoulder.

18. The user interface as recited in claim 13 wherein the plurality of switches further comprises an additional switch for activating and deactivating the plumbing fixture, and a further switch for stepping the display through a sequence of information screens.

19. The user interface as recited in claim 18 wherein each of the plurality of switches is one of a membrane switch and a capacitive switch.