Lighted fittings for bathing installations

• US 8,550,643 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2011
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Balboa Water Group LLC (Helios Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Balboa Water Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Kownacki, Eric J., Campbell, Graham J.
• Primary Examiner(s): CARIASO, ALAN B
• Application Number:
  US12/985,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20110164400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 362/23.03, 362/23.04, 362/23.05, 362/23.1, 362/23.12, 362/23.13, 362/23.18, 362/23.2, 362/85, 362/96, 362/101, 362/249.02, 362/249.03, 362/382, 362/457, 362/234
• US Class Current: 362/96
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2033/0083 Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5046 Touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/02 Wall, ceiling, or floor bases; Fixing pendants or arms to the bases F21V21/08 takes precedence; bases for movable standing lamps F21V21/06
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/004 Sanitary equipment, e.g. mirrors, showers, toilet seats or paper dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/401 for swimming pools

Abstract

A fitting for through hole mounting to a panel of a bathing installation includes in one exemplary embodiment a flange structure fabricated of a transparent or translucent material, the flange structure including a hollow body portion adapted to extend through a mount hole in the panel and having an outer peripheral portion, and a transverse flange portion having an outer size larger than the hole opening, so that a peripheral flange portion overlaps the panel surrounding the hole when the flange structure is installed in the mount hole. A light source attachment portion is attached to the body portion of the flange structure and configured so that with the flange structure mounted to the panel, light emitted from one or more light sources mounted in the light source attachment portion is transmitted through the body portion and into the transverse flange structure to illuminate at least a portion of the transverse flange portion.

Claims

1. A fitting assembly for through hole mounting to a panel of a bathing installation, comprising:

a flange structure fabricated of a translucent material, the flange structure including a flange body portion adapted to extend through a mount hole in the panel and having an outer peripheral portion, and a transverse flange portion having an outer size larger than the mount hole, so that a periphery flange portion overlaps the panel surrounding the hole when the flange structure is installed in the mount hole;

a connector member configured to engage the outer peripheral portion of the flange structure, the connector member having at least one light source attachment portion, so that with the flange structure mounted to the panel with the connector member in engagement with the flange structure, the light source attachment portion is disposed on a first side of the panel such that light emitted from at least one light source mounted in the at least one light source attachment portion is transmitted through the connector member into the flange structure and through the mount hole to illuminate the transverse flange portion on a second side of the panel;

a valve assembly including a manually operable handle, the valve assembly including a valve body structure disposed on the first side of the panel and including a body portion disposed within the flange structure, and a valve core structure including a portion disposed in the valve body and a portion extending into the flange structure for connection to the handle disposed on the second side of the panel.

2. The fitting assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle is rotatable to position the valve core structure at a plurality of operating positions.

3. The fitting assembly of claim 2, in which:

a visual valve status indication is provided by light emitted through the flange structure and selectively through the handle in dependence on handle position.

4. The fitting assembly of claim 2, further comprising:

a bezel structure configured for threaded attachment to the body portion of the valve body, with the bezel structure positioned on the second side of the panel and arranged between the flange structure and the handle in stationary position during handle operation.

5. The fitting assembly of claim 4, wherein the bezel structure includes a transparent region and at least one opaque region, and the handle includes an opaque portion and at least one open or transparent window region, and wherein the window permits light emitted from the at least one light source to pass with the handle in a first position, and the handle opaque portion and the bezel opaque region block light from passing when the handle is in a second position and the window is not aligned with the transparent region of the bezel.

6. The fitting assembly of claim 5, wherein the valve assembly provides an on/off function for fluid flow between a first valve port and a second valve port, and the first position of the handle corresponds to a valve-open state, and the second position corresponds to a valve-closed state.

7. The fitting assembly of claim 4, wherein the bezel structure is transparent, and the handle includes an opaque portion and at least one open or transparent window region, and wherein the radial position of the handle is indicated by light passing through the at least one open or transparent window region.

8. The fitting assembly of claim 7, in which the valve assembly is a diverter valve which provides a diverter function of allowing fluid flow between a first valve port and a second valve port with the handle in a first position, and allow fluid flow between the first valve port and a third valve port with the handle in a second position.

9. The fitting assembly of claim 1, wherein the flange structure is a generally hollow structure open at a flange portion end and open at a distal end.

10. The fitting assembly of claim 1, wherein the connector member is a threaded nut member configured to engage a threaded outer peripheral portion of the flange structure on the first side of the panel.

11. The fitting assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source attachment portion is integrally formed with the connector member to form a unitary structure.

12. A fitting for through hole mounting to a panel of a bathing installation, comprising:

a housing structure fabricated of a transparent or translucent material, the housing structure including a hollow body portion adapted to extend through a mount hole in the panel and having an outer peripheral portion, and a transverse front panel flange portion having an outer size larger than the mount hole, so that a peripheral flange portion of the front panel flange portion overlaps the panel surrounding the mount hole when the housing structure is installed in the mount hole;

the transverse front panel flange portion including a front surface portion extending over the mount hole;

the transverse front panel flange portion and the hollow body portion defining a single unitary structure of the housing structure;

a back cover structure separate from the housing structure and configured for attachment to the hollow body portion on an opposite side of the panel from the transverse front panel flange structure to cover a housing area surrounded by the outer peripheral portion of the hollow body portion, the back cover structure including a plurality of light source receptacles disposed in spaced relation on a back surface of the back cover structure, each light source receptacle configured to hold a light source inserted into the receptacle from outside the back cover structure and outside the housing area so that with the housing structure mounted to the panel, light emitted from a light source mounted in each light source receptacle is transmitted through the back cover structure and at least one of the body portion and the housing area and into the transverse front panel flange portion to illuminate at least a portion of the transverse front panel flange portion; and

wherein the fitting is a control panel for the bathing installation and electronic circuitry is mounted within the housing area.

13. The fitting of claim 12, further comprising an opaque layer substantially covering regions of a top surface of the transverse front panel flange portion, and wherein the illumination provided by the light source provides an edge-lit lighting effect.

14. The fitting of claim 13, wherein the control panel includes a display panel, touch buttons and indicator lights.

15. The fitting of claim 12, wherein the plurality of light source receptacles are disposed at locations on the rear cover portion which are spaced from a cover periphery, said back cover structure and said plurality of light source receptacles forming an integrally formed structure with said plurality of light source receptacles protruding from a rear surface of the back cover structure.

16. The fitting of claim 15, wherein said integrally formed structure is fabricated of a transparent or translucent material.

17. The fitting of claim 15, wherein said integrally formed structure is fabricated of an opaque material, with through holes formed through the plurality of light receptacles to allow light from the light sources to pass through the holes and to the transverse front panel flange portion.

18. A fitting assembly for through hole mounting to a panel of a bathing installation, comprising:

a flange structure fabricated of a translucent material, the flange structure including a flange body portion adapted to extend through a mount hole in the panel and having an outer peripheral portion, and a transverse flange portion having an outer size larger than the mount hole, so that a periphery flange portion overlaps the panel surrounding the hole when the flange structure is installed in the mount hole;

a connector member configured to engage the outer peripheral portion of the flange structure, the connector member having at least one light source attachment portion, so that with the flange structure mounted to the panel with the connector member in engagement with the flange structure, the light source attachment portion is disposed on a first side of the panel such that light emitted from at least one light source mounted in the at least one light source attachment portion is transmitted through the connector member into the flange structure and through the mount hole to illuminate the transverse flange portion on a second side of the panel;

a control assembly including a handle, the control assembly including a body structure disposed on the first side of the panel and including a body portion disposed within the flange structure, and a control structure including a portion disposed in the body structure and a portion extending into the flange structure for connection to the handle disposed on the second side of the panel.

19. The fitting assembly of claim 18, wherein the handle is rotatable to position the control structure at a plurality of operating positions.

20. The fitting assembly of claim 19, in which:

a visual control status indication is provided by light emitted through the flange structure and selectively through the handle in dependence on handle position.

21. The fitting assembly of claim 19, further comprising:

a bezel structure configured for threaded attachment to the body portion of the control body structure, with the bezel structure positioned on the second side of the panel and arranged between the flange structure and the handle in stationary position during handle operation.

22. The fitting assembly of claim 21, wherein the bezel structure includes a transparent region and at least one opaque region, and the handle includes an opaque portion and at least one open or transparent window region, and wherein the window permits light emitted from the at least one light source to pass with the handle in a first position, and the handle opaque portion and the bezel opaque region block light from passing when the handle is in a second position and the window is not aligned with the transparent region of the bezel.

23. The fitting assembly of claim 21, wherein the bezel structure is transparent, and the handle includes an opaque portion and at least one open or transparent window region, and wherein the radial position of the handle is indicated by light passing through the at least one open or transparent window region.

24. The fitting assembly of claim 18, wherein the flange structure is a generally hollow structure open at a flange portion end and open at a distal end.

25. The fitting assembly of claim 18, wherein the connector member is a threaded nut member configured to engage a threaded outer peripheral portion of the flange structure on the first side of the panel.

26. The fitting assembly of claim 18, wherein the at least one light source attachment portion is integrally formed with the connector member to form a unitary structure.

27. The fitting assembly of claim 18, wherein the control assembly is a valve assembly, the body structure is a valve body structure, and the control structure is a valve core structure.