Shower system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12023692-B2
Application number	US-202217579801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2022
Priority date	Feb 8, 2021
Publication date	Jul 2, 2024
Grant date	Jul 2, 2024

Abstract

A shower system includes on one or more valves and a plurality of showerheads. The plurality of showerheads are electrically coupled to one another and configured to receive electrical signals from one another. The plurality of showerheads are fluidly coupled to the one or more valves and configured to receive water therefrom. The plurality of showerheads includes a sprayer, one or more sensors, and an integrated user interface. The sprayer is configured to dispense water provided by the one or more valves. The one or more sensors are configured to register motion gestures made by a user. The integrated user interface is configured to control operation of the sprayer. The one or more sensors generates an internal signal to the plurality of showerheads corresponding to the motion gesture. One of the plurality of showerheads is a master showerhead.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shower system, comprising:
one or more valves; and
a plurality of showerheads electrically coupled to one another such that the showerheads receive electrical signals from one another, the plurality of showerheads fluidly coupled to the one or more valves and receiving water therefrom, each of the plurality of showerheads comprising:
a sprayer dispensing water provided by the one or more valves;
one or more sensors registering motion gestures made by a user; and
an integrated user interface controlling operation of the sprayer;

wherein the one or more sensors generates an internal signal to the plurality of showerheads corresponding to the motion gesture, and wherein one of the plurality of showerheads is a master showerhead.

2. The shower system of claim 1 , wherein the master showerhead generates the internal signal and an external signal corresponding to the motion gesture in response to the master showerhead registering the motion gesture.

3. The shower system of claim 2 , wherein the master showerhead controls operation of the sprayer of the master showerhead based on the internal signal received by one of the one or more sensors.

4. The shower system of claim 3 , wherein the master showerhead provides the external signal to the remaining of the plurality of showerheads, the remaining of the plurality of showerheads controlling operation of the sprayer of the remaining showerheads in response to receiving the external signal.

5. The shower system of claim 1 , further comprising a digital valve fluidly coupled to a cold water supply and a hot water supply, the digital valve diverting water to one or more of the plurality of showerheads.

6. The shower system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a master controller receiving a command from the user, and wherein the master controller generates the internal signal and the external signal based on the command from the master showerhead.

7. The shower system of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of showerheads is an overhead showerhead comprising an overhead controller, the overhead showerhead coupled to the master showerhead and controlling actuation of the overhead showerhead.

8. The shower system of claim 1 , wherein the user provides a motion gesture to the one or more sensors which activates or deactivates a flow of water between at least one of the plurality of showerheads.

9. A shower system, comprising:
a plurality of showerheads having one or more spray modes and electrically coupled to one another and receiving electrical signals from one another,
one or more valves fluidly coupled to the plurality of showerheads, each of the plurality of shower heads including:
a sprayer dispensing water provided by the one or more valves;
one or more sensors registering motion gestures made by a user; and
an integrated user interface controlling operation of the sprayer;

wherein the one or more valves are fluidly coupled to the one or more spray modes selectively changing the spray mode in response to the motion gesture.

10. The shower system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise:
a first motion-sensing sensor generating an internal signal;
a second motion-sensing sensor controlling a temperature of water delivered to the plurality of showerheads; and
a third motion-sensing sensor controlling the temperature of water delivered to each of the plurality of showerheads.

11. The shower system of claim 10 , wherein activation of the first motion-sensing sensor generates an external signal, and wherein the controller transmits the external signal to the plurality of showerheads which changes the one or more spray modes.

12. The shower system of claim 10 , wherein a length of time the motion gesture remains within a sensor range corresponds to a rise or drop in the temperature of the water.

13. The shower system of claim 9 , wherein the user provides the motion gesture to the one or more sensors which changes the one or more spray modes, and wherein the one or more spray modes spray in sequence.

14. The shower system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors register an audio command, and wherein the audio command activates one of the one or more spray modes in response to receiving the audio command.

15. The shower system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors are touch-sensitive sensors, and wherein the user interacts with the touch-sensitive sensors adjusting a temperature of the water delivered to the plurality of showerheads.

16. A shower system, comprising:
a plurality of showerheads;
a plurality of sensors operably coupled to the plurality of showerheads and registering motion gestures made by a user, the plurality of sensors comprising:
a first motion-sensing sensor generating an internal signal;
a second motion-sensing sensor controlling a temperature of water delivered to the plurality of showerheads; and
a third motion-sensing sensor controlling the temperature of water delivered to the plurality of showerheads; and

a controller operably coupled to the plurality of showerheads, the controller comprising a processing circuit receiving a command from the plurality of sensors;
wherein the controller controls operation of at least one of the plurality of showerheads in response to receiving the command.

17. The shower system of claim 16 , wherein a length of time the motion gesture remains within a sensor range corresponds to a rise or drop in the temperature of water.

18. The shower system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of sensors generates the internal signal to one of the plurality of showerheads corresponding to the motion gesture in response to the user providing the motion gesture to one of the plurality of showerheads.

19. The shower system of claim 16 , wherein the user provides a motion gesture to the plurality of sensors which activates or deactivates a flow of water between at least one of the plurality of showerheads.

20. The shower system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of showerheads includes a showerhead, an overhead showerhead, and a wall-mounted showerhead, and wherein the controller controls the showerhead, the overhead showerhead, and the wall-mounted showerhead.

Assignees

• Kohler Co

Inventors

• Leonhard Todd W
• Cheng Qi
• Brouwer Douglas J
• Ruh Keith
• Cochart Chad J

Classifications

• E03C1/0408 Primary

  Water installations especially for showers (E03C1/06 takes precedence; shower heads B05B1/18) · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• E03C1/057

  touchless, i.e. using sensors · CPC title

• B05B12/04

  for sequential operation or multiple outlets · CPC title

• B05B12/122

  responsive to presence or shape of target (B05B12/124 takes precedence) · CPC title