Shower system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11767930-B2
Application number	US-202217721783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2022
Priority date	Aug 9, 2018
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

A shower system includes a shower waterway and a fluid control valve. The shower waterway is configured to be coupled to a shower device. The fluid control valve is coupled to the shower waterway and comprises a valve body and a piston. The valve body includes a chamber and a reservoir. The piston is slidably coupled to the valve body and fluidly separates the chamber from the reservoir. The chamber includes a compressible gas. The piston is configured to slidably translate within the valve body to compress the compressible gas in response to a water pressure fluctuation in the shower waterway.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A residential plumbing system comprising:
a waterway; and
a fluid control valve coupled to the waterway and comprising a hot water inlet, a cold water inlet, a mixing valve, and a water outlet, the fluid control valve further comprising:
a valve body located along a portion of the waterway that extends within the fluid control valve between the mixing valve and the water outlet, the valve body including a chamber and a reservoir, the chamber including a compressible gas; and
a piston coupled to the valve body, wherein the piston fluidly separates the chamber from the reservoir;
wherein the piston is configured to compress the compressible gas in response to a water pressure change in the waterway.

2. The plumbing system of claim 1 , wherein the valve body includes a vent configured to control an amount of compressible gas in the chamber.

3. The plumbing system of claim 2 , wherein the vent includes a vent screw configured to be selectively adjusted to control the amount of compressible gas in the chamber.

4. The plumbing system of claim 1 , wherein the piston is configured to slidably translate within the valve body based on a water flow rate in a range of about 2 gpm to about 5 gpm.

5. The plumbing system of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir is in fluid communication with the waterway, such that water may flow from the waterway into the reservoir to engage the piston.

6. The plumbing system of claim 1 , wherein the valve body includes a flange extending radially outwardly from a perimeter of the valve body for coupling the valve body to the waterway.

7. The plumbing system of claim 1 , wherein the mixing valve is operable to selectively control amounts of hot water and cold water flowing through the fluid control valve.

8. A residential plumbing system comprising:
a fluid control valve configured to be coupled to a waterway, wherein the fluid control valve comprises:
a hot water inlet configured to receive a hot water feed, a cold water inlet configured to receive a cold water feed, a mixing valve configured to selectively fluidly couple the hot water feed and the cold water feed, and at least one water outlet configured to discharge a flow of water from the fluid control valve, wherein a portion of the waterway extends within the fluid control valve;
a valve body including a chamber and a reservoir, the valve body located along the portion of the waterway that extends within the fluid control valve; and
a piston slidably coupled to the valve body, wherein the piston fluidly separates the chamber from the reservoir, and wherein the chamber includes a compressible gas; and
wherein the piston is configured to slidably translate within the valve body to compress the compressible gas in response to a water pressure change in the residential plumbing system.

9. The plumbing system of claim 8 , wherein the valve body includes a vent configured to control an amount of compressible gas in the chamber.

10. The plumbing system of claim 9 , wherein the vent includes a vent screw configured to be selectively adjusted to control the amount of compressible gas in the chamber.

11. The plumbing system of claim 8 , wherein the piston is configured to slidably translate within the valve body based on a water flow rate in a range of about 2 gpm to about 5 gpm.

12. The plumbing system of claim 8 , wherein the reservoir is configured to be in fluid communication with the waterway, such that water may flow from the waterway into the reservoir to engage the piston.

13. The plumbing system of claim 8 , wherein the valve body includes a flange extending radially outwardly from a perimeter of the valve body for coupling the valve body to the waterway.

14. The plumbing system of claim 8 , wherein the mixing valve is operable to selectively control amounts of each of the hot water feed and the cold water feed permitted to flow through the fluid control valve.

15. A fluid control valve for a residential plumbing system, the fluid control valve comprising:
a hot water inlet configured to receive a hot water feed into the fluid control valve, a cold water inlet configured to receive a cold water feed into the fluid control valve, a mixing valve configured to selectively fluidly couple the hot water feed and the cold water feed, and at least one water outlet configured to discharge a flow of water from the fluid control valve, wherein a portion of a waterway extends within the fluid control valve between (i) at least one of the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet and (ii) the at least one water outlet;
a valve body including a chamber and a reservoir, the valve body located along the portion of the waterway that extends within the fluid control valve between the mixing valve and the at least one water outlet; and
a piston slidably coupled to the valve body, wherein the piston fluidly separates the chamber from the reservoir, and wherein the chamber includes a compressible gas; and
wherein the piston is configured to slidably translate within the valve body to compress the compressible gas in response to a water pressure change in the residential plumbing system.

16. The fluid control valve of claim 15 , wherein the valve body includes a vent configured to control an amount of compressible gas in the chamber.

17. The fluid control valve of claim 16 , wherein the vent includes a vent screw configured to be selectively adjusted to control the amount of compressible gas in the chamber.

18. The fluid control valve of claim 15 , wherein the piston is configured to slidably translate within the valve body based on a water flow rate in a range of about 2 gpm to about 5 gpm.

19. The fluid control valve of claim 15 , wherein the reservoir is configured to be in fluid communication with the waterway, such that water may flow from the waterway into the reservoir to engage the piston.

20. The fluid control valve of claim 15 , wherein the valve body includes a flange extending radially outwardly from a perimeter of the valve body for coupling the valve body to the waterway.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Cochart Chad J
• Brouwer Douglas J

Classifications

• E03C1/021

  Devices for positioning or connecting of water supply lines (connection to the tap body E03C1/0403) · CPC title

• F16K47/02 Primary

  for preventing water-hammer or noise · CPC title

• F16K47/023 Primary

  for preventing water-hammer, e.g. damping of the valve movement · CPC title

• E03C1/02

  Plumbing installations for fresh water · CPC title

• E03C1/025

  Water supply lines as such, e.g. shower hoses · CPC title