Electronic plumbing fixture fitting

• US 9,828,751 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2015
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fortune Brands Water Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Moen, Inc. (Canada) (Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parikh, Harshil, Song, Inho
• Primary Examiner(s): SKUBINNA, CHRISTINE J
• Application Number:
  US14/723,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20150259889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 4675-678
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/04 Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0401 Fixing a tap to the sanitary appliance or to an associated mounting surface, e.g. a countertop
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0402 with mounting from only one side
• 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: E03C 1/055 Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2001/026 with flow restricting devices
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2001/0415 having an extendable water outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 19/006 Specially adapted for faucets
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/10 Detecting, e.g. by using light barriers by reflection from the object G01S17/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7737 Thermal responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87281 System having plural inlets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87338 Flow passage with bypass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87507 Electrical actuator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87579 Faucet attachment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87692 With common valve operator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87917 Flow path with serial valves and/or closures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic plumbing fixture fitting, such as an electronic faucet.

Claims

1. An electronic plumbing fixture fitting, comprising:

a housing, the housing being operable to mount above a mounting surface, the housing including a spout and a wand, the wand being operable to pull away from the spout, the wand including a discharge outlet operable to deliver water;

an electronic valve, the electronic valve being located outside the housing, the electronic valve being operable to permit flow of water through the discharge outlet when the electronic valve is activated and to prevent flow of water through the discharge outlet when the electronic valve is deactivated;

a sensor, the sensor being located inside the spout of the housing, the sensor being operable to send a signal when the sensor is triggered;

a control for the sensor, the control being operable to receive the signal from the sensor when the sensor is triggered and, in response, send a signal to the electronic valve to activate the electronic valve;

a wand hose, the wand hose being operable to fluidly connect the electronic valve and the wand, the wand hose extending through the inside of the spout;

a cable, the cable being operable to electrically connect the sensor and a portion of the control; and

a cable protector, the cable protector being operable to generally extend between the sensor and the portion of the control, the cable protector being operable to extend between the cable and the wand hose along a substantial portion of a length of the cable, the cable protector being operable to insert the sensor into the spout, to shield the cable from the wand hose, and to position the cable within the spout;

the cable protector including a barrier portion and an alignment feature, the alignment feature including at least one tab projecting from the barrier portion, the tab operable to maintain the cable in position against the barrier portion and away from the wand hose.

2. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 1, wherein the alignment feature includes two tabs projecting from the barrier portion.

3. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 1, wherein the cable protector includes an insertion portion.

4. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 3, wherein the insertion portion includes at least one gripping member extending from a longitudinal end of the barrier portion, the gripping member operable to connect to the sensor.

5. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 1, wherein the barrier portion includes a generally flat elongated member operable to prevent the wand hose from contacting the cable.

6. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 5, wherein:

a length of the barrier portion is substantially greater than a width of the barrier portion; and

the width of the barrier portion is substantially greater than a height of the barrier portion.

7. An electronic plumbing fixture fitting, comprising:

a housing, the housing being operable to mount above a mounting surface, the housing including a spout and a wand, the wand being operable to pull away from the spout, the wand including a discharge outlet operable to deliver water;

an electronic valve, the electronic valve being located outside the housing, the electronic valve being operable to permit flow of water through the discharge outlet when the electronic valve is activated and to prevent flow of water through the discharge outlet when the electronic valve is deactivated;

a sensor, the sensor being located inside the spout of the housing, the sensor being operable to send a signal when the sensor is triggered;

a control for the sensor, the control being operable to receive the signal from the sensor when the sensor is triggered and, in response, send a signal to the electronic valve to activate the electronic valve;

a wand hose, the wand hose being operable to fluidly connect the electronic valve and the wand, the wand hose extending through the inside of the spout;

a cable, the cable being operable to electrically connect the sensor and a portion of the control; and

a cable protector, the cable protector being operable to generally extend between the sensor and the portion of the control, the cable protector being operable to extend between the cable and the wand hose along a substantial portion of a length of the cable, the cable protector being operable to insert the sensor into the spout, to shield the cable from the wand hose, and to position the cable within the spout;

the cable protector including a barrier portion and an insertion portion, the insertion portion including at least one gripping member extending from a longitudinal end of the barrier portion, the gripping member operable to connect to the sensor.

8. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 7, wherein the insertion portion includes two gripping members extending from the longitudinal end of the cable protector.

9. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 7, wherein the cable protector includes an alignment feature.

10. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 9, wherein the alignment feature including at least one tab projecting from the barrier portion, the tab operable to maintain the cable in position against the barrier portion and away from the wand hose.

11. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 7, wherein the barrier portion includes a generally flat elongated member operable to prevent the wand hose from contacting the cable.

12. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 11, wherein:

a length of the barrier portion is substantially greater than a width of the barrier portion; and

the width of the barrier portion is substantially greater than a height of the barrier portion.

13. An electronic plumbing fixture fitting, comprising:

a housing, the housing being operable to mount above a mounting surface, the housing including a spout and a wand, the wand being operable to pull away from the spout, the wand including a discharge outlet operable to deliver water;

an electronic valve, the electronic valve being located outside the housing, the electronic valve being operable to permit flow of water through the discharge outlet when the electronic valve is activated and to prevent flow of water through the discharge outlet when the electronic valve is deactivated;

a sensor, the sensor being located inside the spout of the housing, the sensor being operable to send a signal when the sensor is triggered;

a control for the sensor, the control being operable to receive the signal from the sensor when the sensor is triggered and, in response, send a signal to the electronic valve to activate the electronic valve;

a wand hose, the wand hose being operable to fluidly connect the electronic valve and the wand, the wand hose extending through the inside of the spout;

a cable, the cable being operable to electrically connect the sensor and a portion of the control; and

a cable protector, the cable protector being operable to generally extend between the sensor and the portion of the control, the cable protector being operable to extend between the cable and the wand hose along a substantial portion of a length of the cable, the cable protector being operable to insert the sensor into the spout, to shield the cable from the wand hose, and to position the cable within the spout;

the cable protector including a barrier portion, the barrier portion including a generally flat elongated member operable to prevent the wand hose from contacting the cable.

14. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 13, wherein:

a length of the barrier portion is substantially greater than a width of the barrier portion; and

the width of the barrier portion is substantially greater than a height of the barrier portion.

15. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 13, wherein the cable protector includes an alignment feature.

16. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 15, wherein the alignment feature including at least one tab projecting from the barrier portion, the tab operable to maintain the cable in position against the barrier portion and away from the wand hose.

17. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 16, wherein the alignment feature includes two tabs projecting from the barrier portion.

18. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 13, wherein the cable protector includes an insertion portion.

19. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 18, wherein the insertion portion includes at least one gripping member extending from a longitudinal end of the barrier portion, the gripping member operable to connect to the sensor.

20. The electronic plumbing fixture fitting of claim 19, wherein the insertion portion includes two gripping members extending from the longitudinal end of the cable protector.