Plumbing fixture with power and communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12554299-B2
Application number	US-202418637072-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2024
Priority date	Apr 24, 2023
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

A power and communications system associated with a plumbing fixture and which is connected with an external electrical power source. The system includes a power and communication assembly having electrical circuitry adapted to be electrically connected with the external electrical power source and provide electrical power to the power and communication assembly. The electrical circuitry can also be coupled with a plurality of peripheral devices. The power and communication assembly includes a transceiver in communication with the electrical circuitry and adapted to transmit and receive messages with an external communication network and a communication router in communication with the transceiver and adapted to be communicatively coupled with the plurality of peripheral devices. The plumbing fixture is coupled with the power and communication assembly and is adapted to be operably coupled with the plurality of peripheral devices. The plumbing fixture may take the form of a sink or a shower panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A power and communications system for use with an external electrical power source, the system comprising:
a power and communication assembly, the assembly comprising:
electrical circuitry adapted to be electrically connected with the external electrical power source and provide electrical power to the power and communication assembly, the electrical circuitry further adapted to be coupled with a plurality of peripheral devices;
a transceiver in communication with the electrical circuitry and adapted to transmit and receive messages with an external communication network; and
a communication router in communication with the transceiver and adapted to be communicatively coupled with the plurality of peripheral devices; and
wherein the system further includes a plumbing fixture coupled with the power and communication assembly and adapted to be operably coupled with the plurality of peripheral devices.

2 . The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more electronically controlled valves coupled with the plumbing fixture and forming one or more of the peripheral devices.

3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the electrical circuitry further comprises at least one communication port in communication with the communication router, the at least one communication port being connectable with one of the plurality of peripheral devices.

4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the electrical circuitry includes a plurality of power and communication ports wherein each of the plurality of power and communication ports is adapted to supply DC electrical power to a connected peripheral device and communicate electrical signals between the communication router and the connected peripheral device.

5 . The system of claim 4 wherein the plurality of power and communication ports include at least one USB-C port.

6 . The system of claim 4 wherein the plurality of power and communication ports include at least one Power over Ethernet (PoE) port.

7 . The system of claim 4 wherein the electrical circuitry further comprises an AC power outlet adapted to supply AC electrical current to a peripheral device.

8 . The system of claim 7 wherein the plumbing fixture is a sink and the AC power outlet is positioned below the sink whereby the AC power outlet is adapted to power a device coupled with the sink.

9 . The system of claim 1 wherein the plumbing fixture is a sink and the electrical circuitry includes an AC power outlet positioned below the sink whereby the AC power outlet is adapted to power a device coupled with the sink.

10 . The system of claim 9 wherein the electrical circuitry includes an electronically controlled switch whereby the AC power outlet is selectively energized in response to control signals communicated through the communication router.

11 . The system of claim 1 wherein the plumbing fixture is a shower panel and the plurality of peripheral devices includes a user-actuated microphone mounted on the shower panel and a speaker mounted on the shower panel.

12 . The system of claim 1 wherein the plumbing fixture is a shower panel and the plurality of peripheral devices includes a wireless charging pad mounted on the shower panel.

13 . The system of claim 1 wherein the plumbing fixture is a shower panel and the electrical circuitry includes a plurality of power and communication ports wherein each of the plurality of power and communication ports is adapted to supply DC electrical power to a connected peripheral device and communicate electrical signals between the communication router and the connected peripheral device.

14 . The system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of power and communication ports include at least one USB-C port.

15 . The system of claim 13 wherein the plurality of power and communication ports include at least one Power over Ethernet (PoE) port.

16 . The system of claim 1 wherein the system is capable of communicating signals between the external communication network and each of the peripheral devices through the transceiver and the communication router and the system is also capable of directly communicating signals between separate ones of the plurality of peripheral devices through the communication router.

17 . A plumbing fixture adapted to be coupled with an existing electrical power source, the plumbing fixture comprising:
electrical circuitry adapted to be electrically connected with the existing electrical power source and provide electrical power to a power and communication assembly, the electrical circuitry further adapted to provide electrical power to a plurality of peripheral devices; the power and communication assembly comprising:
a transceiver adapted to transmit and receive messages with an external communication network; and
a communication router in communication with the transceiver and adapted to be communicatively coupled with the plurality of peripheral devices.

18 . The plumbing fixture of claim 17 wherein the plumbing fixture is a shower panel and the plurality of peripheral devices includes a user-actuated microphone mounted on the shower panel and a speaker mounted on the shower panel.

19 . The plumbing fixture of claim 17 wherein the plumbing fixture is a shower panel and the plurality of peripheral devices includes a wireless charging pad mounted on the shower panel.

20 . The plumbing fixture of claim 17 wherein and the electrical circuitry includes an AC to DC converter and a plurality of power and communication ports wherein each of the plurality of power and communication ports is adapted to supply DC electrical power to a connected peripheral device and communicate electrical signals between the communication router and the connected peripheral device.

21 . The plumbing fixture of claim 20 wherein the transceiver and the communication router are disposed in a central housing and the plurality of power and communication ports are positioned remote from the central housing and wherein the electrical circuitry comprises wiring fixed to the plumbing fixture and extending between the central housing and the plurality of power and communication ports and communicating DC power and electrical signals therebetween.

22 . The plumbing fixture of claim 21 wherein the power and communication assembly is capable of communicating signals between the external communication network and each of the peripheral devices through the transceiver and the communication router and the power and communication assembly is also capable of directly communicating signals between separate ones of the plurality of peripheral devices through the communication router.

23 . The plumbing fixture of claim 21 wherein at least one of the plurality of power and communication ports is positioned at a mounting location of a corresponding one of the plurality of peripheral devices.

24 . The plumbing fixture of claim 21 wherein each of the plurality of power and communication ports is positioned at a mounting location of a corresponding one of the plurality of peripheral devices.

25 . The plumbing fixture of claim 22 wherein the plurality of peripheral devices includes at least two devices from the group consisting of an electronically controlled valve, an electronically controlled drain, an electronically controlled power switch, an automated soap dispenser, a proximity sensor, a user-actuated microphone, a speaker, and a wire

Assignees

• Delta Faucet Co

Inventors

• Baumgarte Joseph Wayne
• Tueme Raul

Classifications

• A47K3/281 Primary

  Accessories for showers or bathing douches, e.g. cleaning devices for walls or floors of showers (A47K3/30, A47K3/38, A47K3/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• E03C2201/00

  Details, devices or methods not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• E03C1/182

  connected to the waste-pipe · CPC title

• E03C1/057

  touchless, i.e. using sensors · CPC title

• E03C1/0408

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