Multi-feature digital shower system

• US 8,627,850 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2012
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eddie Booker
• Original Assignee: Eddie Booker
• Inventors: Booker, Eddie
• Primary Examiner(s): Schneider, Craig
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAUDRY, ATIF H
• Application Number:
  US13/445,311
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 137/624.11, 137/801, 137/606, 459/7, 460/5, 455/9
• US Class Current: 137/624.11
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 3/28 Showers or bathing douchescombined with baths A47K3/20; nozzles, spray heads B05B1/00 ; means for suspending or supporting the supply pipe or supply hose E03C1/06
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0408 Water installations especially for showers E03C1/06 takes precedence; shower heads B05B1/18
• 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: F16K 11/10 with two or more closure members not moving as a unit
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/01 for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/18 for measuring the quantity of conveyed product measuring volume or volume flow, in general G01F
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86389 Programmer or timer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

Abstract

An electronic shower system comprises in major part a console and plumbing assembly and effective for reducing water use and cost by enabling the storage and use of preset shower settings, the shower console configured to adjust the flow of hot and cold water from hot and cold water lines fluidly attached to a shower faucet via the use of motors and water valves and where the console can further comprise such additional features as a radio unit.

Claims

1. An electronic shower system effective for reducing water use and cost by enabling the storage and use of preset shower settings, the system comprising:

a. a microprocessor [81], embedded within a console and in electronic communication with a power source [15], the microprocessor configured to process commands received from a plurality of controls, store and retrieve records corresponding to specific console settings, and transmit commands that enable the console to activate a series of functions of the console and enable the console to cause a shower faucet [21] to emit, a specific temperature of water;

b. a plumbing assembly comprising a cold water line [606] fluidly connected to a cold water input valve [66], the valve coupled to a cold water motor [72] where the cold water motor [72] is configured to open and close the cold water valve [66], a hot water line [605] fluidly connected to a hot water input valve [65], the valve coupled to a hot water motor [71], where the hot water motor [71] is configured to open and close the hot water valve [65], and a mixing chamber [73] with a hot/cold sensor [74], the mixing chamber fluidly connected to the cold water line [606] and hot water line [605] and said mixing chamber [73] adapted to receive the flow of water from the cold water line [606] and hot water line [605], the motors in electronic communication with the microprocessor [81], the hold/cold sensor [74] in electronic communication with the microprocessor [81] and configured to transmit information to the microprocessor [81] corresponding to the temperature of the water in the mixing chamber [73] and the degree of opening for the cold water [66] and hot water [65] valves corresponding to the said temperature;

c. a display [11] located at a centermost portion of a face of the console and in electronic communication with the microprocessor, the display [11] comprising a visual portion surrounded by a border ring, the display [11] further comprising a menu interface [40] which is displayed at the display [11] when a menu button [37] disposed on the border ring is toggled, the menu interface [40] comprising code for displaying a plurality of options to the user where the user interacts with the menu interface [40] by way of a track ball [34];

d. a digital storage medium [800] embedded within the console and in electronic communication with the microprocessor, the storage medium effective for storing information about the user'"'"'s preferences with respect to the degree of opening of the hot and cold water valves, where said preferences have been inputted by the user via the menu interface [40];

e. an radio unit [38], disposed at the border ring and operatively connected to the microprocessor and the power source [15], the radio unit controlled by the menu interface [40] and displayed on the display [11], the radio unit [38] comprising an on and off button [38] disposed on the face of the console, a first speaker [39] disposed on a first side of the face of the console and a second speaker [309] disposed on a second side of the face of the console, and a radio antennae [61];

f. the display on switch [32], disposed at the border ring, wherein the display on switch [32], when actuated, is configured to send a first signal to the microprocessor whereupon receiving the first signal, the microprocessor is configured to power on the display [11] and display the menu interface [40] to the user;

g. the display off switch [33], disposed at the border ring, wherein the display off switch [33], when actuated, is configured to send a first signal to the microprocessor whereupon receiving the first signal, the microprocessor is configured to power off the display [11];

h. a hot power button [31] disposed on the border ring, where the hot power button, when actuated, is configured to transmit a first signal to the microprocessor [81], whereupon receiving said first signal, the microprocessor [81] sends a second signal to the hot water motor [71] to activate the input of hot water by opening the hot water valve [65];

i. a cold power button [301] disposed on the border ring, where the cold power button, when actuated, is configured to transmit a first signal to the microprocessor [81], whereupon receiving said first signal, the microprocessor [81] sends a second signal to the cold water motor [72] to activate the input of cold water by opening the cold water valve [66];

j. a set of hot water control buttons [35], disposed on the border ring, the buttons comprising an increase hot button and a decrease hot button, said hot water control buttons capable of adjusting the input of hot water controlled by the console whereupon the user toggling the increase hot button or the decrease hot button, a first signal is transmitted to the microprocessor [81] whereby the microprocessor receives said first signal and sends a second signal to the hot water motor [71] which instructs the hot water motor [71] to open or close the hot water valve [65] to a certain degree corresponding to information received by the microprocessor [81], thereby adjusting the flow of hot water;

k. a set of cold water control buttons [305], disposed on the border ring, the buttons comprising an increase cold button and a decrease cold button, said cold water control buttons capable of adjusting the input of cold water as controlled by the console whereupon the user toggling the increase cold button or the decrease cold button, a first signal is transmitted to the microprocessor [81] whereby the microprocessor [81] receives said first signal and sends a second signal to the cold water motor [72] which instructs the cold water motor [72] to open or close the cold water valve [66] to a certain degree corresponding to information received by the microprocessor [81], thereby adjusting the flow of cold water;

wherein the console is activated by the user when the user actuates the on switch [32], wherein the user can adjust the temperature of water controlled by the console by manipulating the hot water control buttons [35] and the cold water control buttons [305] and thereafter, using the menu interface [40], the user can store a digital record on the storage medium where the record is associated with the user'"'"'s name and corresponds to a desired water temperature setting.

2. The system of claim 1, where plurality of options at the menu interface comprises a shower power option which turns the water flow on and off, a radio activation option which activates the radio unit, a screen change option which allows the user to change the color of the display, a power off option for powering off the console, a key pad option which causes the display to display a key pad for entering a name, or a name setting option which allows the user to bring up console settings corresponding to the record stored about the particular user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the track ball is configured to change the display to yellow, amber, or blue.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a label is disposed at an upper portion of the face of the console, the label reading “

Wonder Shower”

.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the console further comprises a control button for adjusting the flow of water in the shower.