Sink with colored lights for indicating water temperature

• US 9,228,330 B1
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Patent Development Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: International Patent Development Group, LLC
• Inventors: Brown, Brian A., Brown, Gregory A. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Baker, Lori
• Application Number:
  US14/284,143
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 4619-660
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 9/20 Pillar fountains or like apparatus for dispensing drinking water
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/055 Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/14 Wash-basins connected to the waste-pipe
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/16 Wash-fountains connected to the waste-pipe
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/02 Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2207/00 Application of thermometers in household appliances

Abstract

An aesthetically designed sink (100) comprises a plurality of orifices (110, 115, 120, 125) that deliver different water flow profiles for washing, rinsing, and drinking. Hot and cold water supplies (1110, 1115) supply water to the sink. A series of touch and sliding-touch controls (130-180) regulate the temperature and flow of water from the orifices. A logic circuit (1105) controls all operations, i.e., orifice selection, flow rate, and temperature. In one aspect water flowing from an orifice forms a sheet-shaped stream that arcs over the bowl for ease of washing and drinking. The stream can be illuminated by bi-color light-emitting diodes (121) in colors indicative of the selected temperature of the water flowing through that orifice. Alternatively an orifice is replaced by a removable fixture (900) in a cavity (905) in the sink, which is connected to the water supply (910).

Claims

1. A lavatory sink, comprising:

a bowl for holding or containing water,

said bowl having a drain at its bottom, a rim at its top, and a wall extending between said drain and said rim,

an orifice for supplying a stream of water out of said orifice and into said bowl for enabling a user to access said stream of water over or within said bowl,

a conduit for supplying water to said orifice,

at least one electrically operable valve in said conduit for controlling the supply of water to said orifice,

at least one control unit arranged to issue actuating commands to said valve to cause said valve to open or close to control the flow of water flows through said valve and said orifice,

a plurality of color-changeable light sources on said bowl and a selector for selecting the temperature of water flowing to said orifice and supplying said temperature to said control unit, wherein said control unit causes the color of said color-changing light sources to indicate the temperature of said water flowing to said orifice in response to said temperature supplied to said control unit,

whereby a user may easily and directly access said stream for hand or face washing or drinking over or within said bowl and also know the temperature of said stream of water flowing out of said orifice by observing said light sources.

2. The sink of claim 1 wherein said control unit causes said plurality of color-changing light sources to supply a first color indicating the flow of cold water, a second color indicating the flow of hot water, and a third color comprising a combination of said first and said second colors to indicate the flow of water having a third temperature between said cold and hot temperatures.

3. The sink of claim 1 wherein said orifice is contained in said wall of said bowl.

4. The sink of claim 1 wherein said bowl has an oval-shaped rim and said orifice is positioned on a long side of said bowl.

5. The sink of claim 1 wherein said bowl has an oval-shaped rim and said orifice is positioned on a short side of said bowl.

6. The sink of claim 1 wherein said plurality of color-changing light sources are within said orifice for causing light to be emitted from said orifice to color the water emitted from said orifice.

7. The sink of claim 6 wherein said control unit causes said light sources to supply a first color indicating the flow of cold water, a second color indicating the flow of hot water, and a third color comprising a combination of said first and said second colors to indicate the flow of water having a third temperature between said cold and hot temperatures.

8. The sink of claim 1 wherein said control unit has a control and further including a logic circuit arranged to interpret the status of said control in order to operate said at least one valve proportionally so that flow of water through said at least one valve varies in proportion to said status of said control.

16. The sink of claim 1 wherein said temperature-determining device has a control and further including at least one valve in said conduit and a logic circuit arranged to interpret the status of said control in order to operate saidat least one valve proportionally so that flow of water through said at least one valve varies in proportion to said status of said control.

9. A lavatory sink, comprising:

a bowl for holding or containing water,

said bowl having a drain at its bottom, a rim at its top, and a wall extending between said drain and said rim,

an orifice for supplying a stream of water out of said orifice and into said bowl for enabling a user to access said stream of water over or within said bowl,

a conduit for supplying water to said orifice,

at least one valve in said conduit for controlling the supply of water to said orifice,

a plurality of color-changeable light sources on said bowl, the color of light emitted from said sources being visible to a user of said sink,

a temperature-determining device for determining the temperature of water flowing to said orifice and causing the color of said plurality of color-changing light sources to indicate the temperature of water supplied to said orifice,

whereby a user may easily and directly access said stream for hand or face washing or drinking over or within said bowl and also know the temperature of said stream of water flowing out of said orifice by observing said light sources.

10. The sink of claim 9 wherein said temperature-determining device causes said plurality of color-changing light sources to supply a first color indicating the flow of cold water, a second color indicating the flow of hot water, and a third color comprising a combination of said first and said second colors to indicate the flow of water having a third temperature between said cold and hot temperatures.

11. The sink of claim 9 wherein said orifice is contained in said wall of said bowl.

12. The sink of claim 9 wherein said bowl has an oval-shaped rim and said orifice is positioned on a long side of said bowl.

13. The sink of claim 9 wherein said bowl has an oval-shaped rim and said orifice is positioned on a short side of said bowl.

14. The sink of claim 9 wherein said plurality of color-changing light sources are within said orifice for causing light to be emitted from said orifice to color the water emitted from said orifice.

15. The sink of claim 14 wherein said temperature-determining device causes said light sources to supply a first color indicating the flow of cold water, a second color indicating the flow of hot water, and a third color comprising a combination of said first and said second colors to indicate the flow of water having a third temperature between said cold and hot temperatures.

17. A lavatory sink, comprising:

a bowl for holding or containing water,

said bowl having a drain at its bottom, a rim at its top, and a wall extending between said drain and said rim,

an orifice for supplying a stream of water out of said orifice and into said bowl for enabling a user to access said stream of water over or within said bowl,

a pair of conduits for supplying hot and cold water, respectively, to said orifice,

each of said conduits having a valve for controlling the supply of water said conduit supplies to said orifice,

a plurality of color-changeable light sources on said bowl, the color of light emitted from said sources being visible to a user of said sink,

a temperature-determining device for determining the temperature of water flowing to said orifice and causing the color of said plurality of color-changing light sources to indicate the temperature of water supplied to said orifice,

whereby a user may easily and directly access said stream for hand or face washing or drinking over or within said bowl and also know the temperature of said stream of water flowing out of said orifice by observing said light sources.

18. The sink of claim 17 wherein said temperature-determining device causes said plurality of color-changing light sources to supply a first color indicating the flow of cold water, a second color indicating the flow of hot water, and a third color comprising a combination of said first and said second colors to indicate the flow of water having a third temperature between said cold and hot temperatures.

19. The sink of claim 17 wherein said plurality of color-changing light sources are within said orifice for causing light to be emitted from said orifice to color the water emitted from said orifice.

20. The sink of claim 19 wherein said temperature-determining device causes said light sources to supply a first color indicating the flow of cold water, a second color indicating the flow of hot water, and a third color comprising a combination of said first and said second colors to indicate the flow of water having a third temperature between said cold and hot temperatures.