Shower head with integrated mixing valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9260844-B2
Application number	US-201313829244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Jun 22, 2012
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A shower head is configured to receive a first fluid conduit and a second fluid conduit, where the shower head includes a mixer valve within a portion thereof that is configured to receive a first fluid from the first fluid conduit and a second fluid from the second fluid conduit and to output the first fluid or the second fluid or a blend the first and second fluids to a shower head outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shower head configured to receive a first fluid conduit and a second fluid conduit, wherein the shower head includes a mixer valve within a portion thereof that is configured to receive a first fluid from the first fluid conduit and a second fluid from the second fluid conduit and to output the first fluid or the second fluid or a blend of the first and second fluids to a shower head outlet, wherein the mixer valve comprises:
a first fluid inlet adapted to receive the first fluid from the first fluid conduit;
a second fluid inlet adapted to receive the second fluid from the second fluid conduit;
a fluid outlet;
a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of fluid from the first fluid inlet; and
a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of fluid from the second fluid inlet,
wherein each of the first and second flow control valves includes a valve member assembly to control the fluid flow through the respective flow control valve; and
wherein, when in use, fluid flowing through the first flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the first flow control valve and fluid flowing through the second flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the second flow control valve, and wherein substantially no net force is a level of imbalance of up to ±10% of the actuating force when fully force balanced.

2. The shower head of claim 1 , wherein the mixer valve comprises a mixing chamber having the fluid outlet, and wherein at least one of the first or second flow control valve includes at least two separate outlets into the mixing chamber.

3. The shower head of claim 2 , wherein both the first flow control valve and second flow control valve each include at least two separate outlets into the mixing chamber.

4. The shower head of claim 3 , wherein each valve member assembly includes a first valve member adapted to engage with a first valve seat associated with a first of the two valve outlets in a closed position of the flow control valve and a second valve member adapted to engage with a second, separate, valve seat associated with a second of the two valve outlets in the closed position of the flow control valve.

5. The shower head of claim 1 , wherein the mixer valve is provided in a stem of the shower head.

6. The shower head of claim 1 , wherein the shower head is a fixed shower head.

7. The shower head of claim 1 , wherein the shower head comprises a movable handset.

8. The shower head of claim 1 , wherein the shower head includes a spray head configured to provide a plurality of different spray patterns.

9. The shower head of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid conduit is configured to couple to a source of hot water and the second fluid conduit is configured to couple to a source of cold water, the sources of hot and cold water being located outside of the shower head.

10. The shower head of claim 1 , wherein the shower head further includes a controller configured to control at least one of the flow rate or the temperature of fluid output from the mixer valve.

11. The shower head of claim 1 , further comprising an interface configured to allow a user of the shower head to control at least one of the flow rate or the temperature of fluid output from the mixer valve.

12. The shower head of claim 11 , wherein the interface is provided on a portion of the shower head.

13. The shower head of claim 12 , wherein the interface comprises a touch screen.

14. The shower head of claim 1 , wherein the shower head includes a stem portion in which the first and second fluid conduits are received by the mixer valve and at least one outlet to discharge fluid from the mixer valve.

15. The shower head of claim 1 , wherein the mixer valve includes a plurality of linear actuators for moving valve assemblies within the mixer valve.

16. The shower head of claim 15 , wherein the linear actuators are stepper motors.

17. The shower head of claim 1 , wherein the mixer valve further comprises an electric heating element configured to heat a body of the mixer valve to allow a disinfecting routine to be performed to kill organisms within the mixer valve.

18. A shower head comprising:
a body;
a mixing valve within the body of the shower head;
a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of fluid from a first inlet; and
a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of fluid from a second inlet;
wherein each of the first and second flow control valves includes a valve member assembly to control the fluid flow through the respective flow control valve;
wherein the mixing valve includes a first inlet and a second inlet for receiving first and second fluids, respectively, and an outlet for directing a mixture of the first and second fluids toward an outlet of the shower head; and
wherein the valve member assembly and the inlet of each of the first and second flow control valves are adapted and arranged such that, when in use, fluid flowing through the first flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the first flow control valve and fluid flowing through the second flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the second flow control valve.

19. The shower head of claim 18 , wherein the shower head is a fixed shower head.

20. The shower head of claim 19 , wherein the mixing valve is provided in a stem of the shower head.

21. The shower head of claim 18 , wherein the shower head comprises a movable handset.

22. The shower head of claim 21 , wherein the mixing valve is provided in a stem of the shower head.

23. The shower head of claim 18 , wherein the shower head includes a spray head configured to provide a plurality of different spray patterns.

24. The shower head of claim 18 , wherein the mixing valve further comprises a mixing chamber, and the second flow control valve is separate from the first flow control valve, wherein at least one of the first flow control valve or the second flow control valve includes at least two separate outlets into the mixing chamber.

25. The shower head of claim 24 , wherein both the first flow control valve and second flow control valve each include at least two separate outlets into the mixing chamber.

26. The shower head of claim 18 , wherein the mixing valve further comprises an electric heating element configured to heat a body of the mixing valve to allow a disinfecting routine to be performed to kill organisms within the mixing valve.

27. A shower head comprising:
a body;
a mixing valve within the body of the shower head, the mixing valve comprising:
a first inlet for receiving a first fluid;
a second inlet for receiving a second fluid;
a mixing chamber;
a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of the first fluid from the first inlet, the first flow control valve including at least two separate outlets into the mixing chamber;
a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of the second fluid from the second inlet, wherein the second flow control valve is separate from the first flow control valve and includes at least two separate outlets into the mixing chamber; and
an outlet for directing a mixture of the first and second fluids toward an outlet of the shower head;

wherein each of the first and second flow control valves co

Assignees

• Kohler Mira Ltd

Inventors

• Peel Kevin T

Classifications

• F16K49/002

  Electric heating means · CPC title

• F16K11/20

  operated by separate actuating members (with one plug turning in another F16K11/12) · CPC title

• E03B7/074

  Arrangement of water treatment devices · CPC title

• F16K31/04

  using a motor · CPC title

• E03C1/046

  Adding soap, disinfectant, or the like in the supply line {or at the water outlet}(preventing contamination of drinking-water pipes E03C1/10) · CPC title