Electronic shower system

• US 9,632,514 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2011
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Marty, Garry R., Huffington, Todd, Davidson, Kyle R., Johnson, Brian W., O'Cull, Larry D., Jonte, Patrick B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman, Marc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Comings, Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US13/698,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20130062422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,164 Days
• Field of Search: 236 121, 236 1212, 236 1214, 236 1217
• 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: G05D 11/13 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/132 by controlling the flow of the individual components G05D11/133 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/13 by varying the mixing ratio of two fluids having different temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1306 for liquids G05D23/1393 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic shower system including a mixing valve operably coupled to a mixing valve drive, and a diverter valve operably coupled to a diverter valve drive and in fluid communication with the mixing valve. A controller is in communication with the mixing valve drive and the diverter valve drive. A user interface includes a removable module in communication with the controller.

Claims

1. An electronic shower system comprising:

a rough assembly including a housing, a mixing valve body supported by the housing and including a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet and an outlet, the rough assembly received within a cavity of a shower wall and coupled behind an outer surface of the shower wall;

a valve assembly including a mixing valve received within the mixing valve body, the mixing valve including a control valve plate and a stem operably coupled to the control valve plate, the control valve plate including a hot water control aperture and a cold water control aperture;

a drive assembly including a mixing valve drive operably coupled to the stem of the mixing valve, wherein the drive assembly is configured to rotate the stem, thereby rotating the hot water control aperture and the cold water control aperture of the control valve plate of the mixing valve to control the proportion of water from the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet provided to the outlet of the mixing valve body;

a pressure balancing valve fluidly coupled to the mixing valve and configured to accommodate pressure variations of water supplied to the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet, the pressure balancing valve including a first tube defining a first outlet passageway, a second tube defining a second outlet passageway, and a spool, the hot and cold water control apertures of the control valve plate being in selective alignment with the first and second outlet passageways, respectively, the spool including a first portion fluidly coupled to the hot water inlet and a second portion fluidly coupled to the cold water inlet, the spool configured to move in response to changes in differential pressure between the first portion and the second portion;

wherein the valve assembly includes an off position in which no water flows from the hot water inlet through the hot water control aperture of the control valve plate, and no water flows from the cold water inlet through the cold water control aperture of the control valve plate;

a main user interface including a controller in electrical communication with the drive assembly, the main user interface coupled in front of the outer surface of the shower wall and covering the cavity of the shower wall receiving the rough assembly; and

a battery operably coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to detect the loss of external power, and the battery is configured to operate the mixing valve for a predetermined time when the controller detects that the mixing valve is open and the loss of external power.

2. The electronic shower system of claim 1, further comprising:

a diverter valve body supported by the housing and fluidly coupled to the mixing valve body;

a diverter valve received within the diverter valve body; and

a diverter valve drive operably coupled to the diverter valve.

3. The electronic shower system of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly is fluidly coupled to an overhead showerhead supported by the shower wall, the rough assembly and the user interface being positioned in substantial vertical alignment below the overhead showerhead.

4. The electronic shower system of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a mount coupled to the rough assembly in front of the outer surface of the shower wall, and a user interface module configured to receive input from the user and releasably coupled to the mount.

5. The electronic shower system of claim 4, wherein the user interface module comprises a touch screen.

6. The electronic shower system of claim 1, wherein the mixing valve drive includes a motor configured to operate the mixing valve, and a manual override including an input button for disengaging the motor from the mixing valve based upon manual input from a user.

7. The electronic shower system of claim 1, further comprising a remote user interface in wireless communication with the controller, wherein the controller provides priority to operation of the main user interface over the remote user interface.

8. The electronic shower system of claim 7, wherein operation of the remote user interface provides an override notification at the main user interface.

9. The electronic shower system of claim 1, further comprising a hand shower including a hand shower user interface in wireless communication with the controller.

10. The electronic shower system of claim 9, wherein the hand shower user interface is removably coupled to the hand shower.

11. An electronic shower user interface comprising:

a mount configured to be secured to a vertical wall;

a user interface module including a touch sensor received within a sealed enclosure;

a controller in communication with the user interface;

a coupler to releasably secure the user interface to the mount;

a mixing valve fluidly coupled to a hot water supply and a cold water supply, and a mixing valve drive operably coupled to the mixing valve for controlling the proportion of water from the hot water supply and the cold water supply provided to an outlet, wherein the user interface module is positioned in front of the vertical wall, and the mixing valve is positioned behind the vertical wall and the user interface module;

a position sensor in communication with the controller to detect the position of the control valve plate; and

a battery operably coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to detect the loss of external power and the battery is configured to operate the mixing valve drive for a predetermined time when the controller detects that the mixing valve is open and the loss of external power.

12. The electronic shower system of claim 11, wherein the touch sensor comprises a resistive touch screen.

13. The electronic shower system of claim 11, further comprising a diverter valve fluidly coupled to the mixing valve, and a diverter valve drive operably coupled to the diverter valve for controlling the delivery of water from the mixing valve to at least one of the plurality of outlets, wherein the diverter valve is positioned behind the vertical wall and the user interface module.

14. The electronic shower system of claim 11, wherein the mixing valve drive includes a motor configured to operate the mixing valve, and a manual override including an input button for disengaging the motor from the mixing valve based upon manual input from a user.

15. The electronic shower system of claim 11, further comprising a remote user interface in wireless communication with the controller, wherein the controller provides priority to operation of the user interface module over the remote user interface.

16. The electronic shower system of claim 15, wherein operation of the remote user interface provides an override notification at the user interface module.

17. The electronic shower system of claim 16, wherein the hand shower user interface is removably coupled to the hand shower.

18. The electronic shower system of claim 11, further comprising a hand shower including a hand shower user interface in wireless communication with the controller.

19. An electronic shower system comprising:

a mixing valve fluidly coupled to a hot water supply and a cold water supply;

a mixing valve drive operably coupled to the mixing valve for controlling the proportion of water from the hot water supply and the cold water supply provided to an outlet;

a diverter valve fluidly coupled to the mixing valve;

a diverter valve drive operably coupled to the diverter valve for controlling the delivery of water from the mixing valve to at least one of a plurality of outlets;

a controller operably coupled to the mixing valve drive and the diverter valve drive;

a position sensor in communication with the controller to detect a position of the mixing valve; and

a battery operably coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to detect the loss of external power and the battery is configured to operate the mixing valve drive for a predetermined time when the controller detects that the mixing valve is open and the loss of external power.

20. The electronic shower system of claim 19, further comprising a temperature sensor positioned downstream from the mixing valve and in communication with the controller.

21. The electronic shower system of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to determine the lack of available hot water from the hot water supply based upon the orientation of the mixing valve and temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.

22. The electronic shower system of claim 20, wherein the controller provides a warm up function based upon input from the temperature sensor.

23. The electronic shower system of claim 19, wherein the diverter valve drive controls the flow rate of water delivered to the selected at least one outlet.

24. The electronic shower system of claim 19, further comprising a pressure balancing valve fluidly coupled to the mixing valve.

25. The electronic shower system of claim 24, wherein the pressure balancing valve includes a spool including a first portion fluidly coupled to the hot water supply and a second portion fluidly coupled to the cold water supply, the spool configured to move in response to changes in differential pressure between the first portion and the second portion.

26. The electronic shower system of claim 19, wherein the mixing valve drive includes a motor configured to operate the mixing valve, and a manual override including an input button for disengaging the motor from the mixing valve based upon manual input from a user.

27. The electronic shower system of claim 19, wherein the mixing valve and the mixing valve drive are received with a housing supported behind a shower wall, and a user interface is operably coupled to the housing and supported in front of the shower wall.

28. An electronic shower system comprising:

a mixing valve fluidly coupled to a hot water supply and a cold water supply;

a mixing valve drive operably coupled to the mixing valve for controlling the proportion of water from the hot water supply and the cold water supply provided to an outlet;

a controller in electrical communication with the mixing valve drive;

a position sensor operably coupled to the mixing valve drive for detecting a position of the mixing valve, the position sensor in electrical communication with the controller;

a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of water supplied by the mixing valve, the temperature sensor in electrical communication with the controller;

wherein the controller associates the sensed position of the mixing valve from the position sensor with the measured temperature of water from the temperature sensor to predict valve position for a desired outlet water temperature;

a battery operably coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to detect the loss of external power and the battery is configured to operate the mixing valve drive for a predetermined time when the controller detects that the mixing valve is open and the loss of external power.

29. The electronic shower system of claim 28, wherein the mixing valve drive includes an electric motor, a drive gear operably coupled to the motor, a driven gear operably coupled to the mixing valve, and a transmission coupling the drive gear with the driven gear, the position sensor including a position gear operably coupled to the transmission.

30. The electronic shower system of claim 29, wherein the transmission includes a belt, and the position sensor includes a potentiometer operably coupled to the position gear.

31. The electronic shower system of claim 30, wherein the mixing valve drive further includes a spring biased tensioner operably coupled to the belt.

32. The electronic shower system of claim 29, wherein the driven gear and the position gear include indicators, the home position of the mixing valve being defined when the indicators are aligned and directed toward each other, the home position being the closed position of the mixing valve.

33. The electronic shower system of claim 28, further comprising:

a diverter valve fluidly coupled to the mixing valve; and

a diverter valve drive operably coupled to the diverter valve for controlling the delivery of water from the mixing valve to at least one of a plurality of outlets, the diverter valve drive in electrical communication with the controller.

34. The electronic shower system of claim 33, wherein the diverter valve directs water to a selected outlet and the flow rate of water delivered to the selected outlet.