Integrated electronic shower system

• US 9,988,797 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Reeder, Ryan A., Stohler, Spencer L., Mendenhall, Andrew B., Zink, Paul T., Rodenbeck, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan N
• Application Number:
  US14/715,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20150247307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 4601, 4623, 4668, 4676
• 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: E03D 9/04 Special arrangement or operation of ventilating devices ventilating rooms in general F24F

Abstract

An integrated bathroom electronic system including a plurality of sensors to detect conditions within a bathroom and to provide signals indicative thereof to a controller. A plurality of distinct and exclusive modules or subsystems are illustratively provided for integration into the system. Such modules may include a quick hot water module, a roman tub module, a custom shower module, a hands free faucet module, and a tub shower module. In certain illustrative shower modules, a user interface includes a plurality of user defined presets, each preset including a shower setting stored in memory.

Claims

1. A shower system comprising:

a plurality of body sprays;

a plurality of electrically operable valves associated with the body sprays;

a plurality of input buttons associated with the body sprays;

a controller in communication with the electrically operable valves and the input buttons, wherein actuating each input button changes the operational state of an associated valve; and

a plurality of presets stored in a memory in communication with the controller, each preset associated with a plurality of body sprays, the preset further defined and stored in the memory by a user, wherein actuating each preset controls the operational state of a plurality of associated valves to provide a user defined arrangement of active body sprays including a first user defined arrangement of active body sprays when a first preset control is actuated, wherein the first preset control is customizable for a first user, and a second user defined arrangement of active body sprays when a second preset control is actuated, wherein the second preset control is customizable for a second user, the first user defined arrangement of active body sprays being different from the second user defined arrangement of active body sprays.

2. The shower system of claim 1, wherein actuating one of the buttons a first time activates a corresponding body spray, and actuating the one button a second time deactivates the corresponding body spray.

4. The shower system of claim 1, further comprising at least one actuator in communication with the controller and associated with at least one of the body sprays, the at least one actuator configured to adjust the position of at least one body spray.

5. The shower system of claim 4, wherein each preset is associated with the at least one actuator, wherein activating each preset controls the actuator and the resulting position of the at least one body spray.

6. The shower system of claim 4, wherein the actuator is configured to drive the at least one body spray in translational movement.

7. The shower system of claim 4, wherein the actuator is configured to drive the at least one body spray in rotational movement.

8. The shower system of claim 1, wherein each input button comprises a push button associated with one of the body sprays.

3. The shower system of 1, wherein each preset button is further associated with the temperature of water discharged from the associated body sprays, such that actuating each preset controls the water temperature.

9. A shower system comprising:

a plurality of body sprays;

a plurality of electrically operable valves associated with the body sprays;

a user interface including a plurality of inputs associated with the body sprays;

a controller in communication with the electrically operable valves and the inputs, wherein actuating each input changes the operational state of an associated electrically operable valve; and

a plurality of presets stored in a memory in communication with the controller, each preset associated with at least one of the body sprays, the preset further defined and stored in the memory by a user, wherein actuating each preset controls the operational state of at least one of the electrically operable valves to provide a user defined arrangement of active body sprays including a first user defined arrangement of active body sprays when a first preset control is actuated wherein the first preset control accommodates preferences of a first user, and a second user defined arrangement of active body sprays when a second preset control is actuated wherein the second preset control accommodates preferences of a second user, the first user defined arrangement of active body sprays being different from the second user defined arrangement of active body sprays.

10. The shower system of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of actuators operably coupled with the plurality of body sprays, each of the actuators configured to move at least one of the body sprays.

11. The shower system of claim 10, wherein each of the presets is associated with at least one of the actuators, and activating each preset controls the at least one actuator and the resulting position of the at least one body spray.

12. The shower system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the actuators is configured to drive at least one of the body sprays in translational movement.

13. The shower system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the actuators is configured to drive at least one of the body sprays in rotational movement.

14. The shower system of claim 9, wherein each of the inputs comprises a push button associated with one of the body sprays.