Plumbing fixture with mixing valve and controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9909288-B2
Application number	US-201615140095-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2016
Priority date	Jun 22, 2012
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A showerhead that is configured to receive a supply of cold water and a supply of hot water. The showerhead includes a body, a mixing valve within the body that includes a first actuator within the mixing valve for controlling a first flow control valve within the mixing valve and a second actuator within the mixing valve for controlling a second flow control valve within the mixing valve, and a controller on or within the body that is configured to send a control signal to control actuation of the first actuator and the second actuator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A showerhead configured to receive a supply of cold water and a supply of hot water, the showerhead comprising:
a body comprising a stem and a spray head;
a mixing valve located within one of the stem or the spray head of the body, the mixing valve comprising:
a first actuator for controlling a first flow control valve within the mixing valve; and
a second actuator for controlling a second flow control valve within the mixing valve; and

a controller located on or within one of the stem or the spray head of the body and configured to send a control signal to control actuation of the first actuator and the second actuator.

2. The showerhead of claim 1 , wherein the controller is located within the stem or the spray head of the body and includes a microprocessor mounted on a control panel.

3. The showerhead of claim 2 , further comprising a heating element located within the body for heating at least a portion of the mixing valve to a disinfection temperature.

4. The showerhead of claim 3 , wherein the controller is programmable and includes a memory for storing different settings of at least one of a temperature and a flow rate of outlet water that are inputted through a user interface.

5. A showerhead configured to receive a supply of cold water and a supply of hot water, the showerhead comprising:
a body;
a mixing valve within the body comprising:
a first actuator for controlling a first flow control valve within the mixing valve; and
a second actuator for controlling a second flow control valve within the mixing valve;

a controller that is located within the body and includes a microprocessor mounted on a control panel, wherein the controller is configured to send a control signal to control actuation of the first actuator and the second actuator; and
a heating element located within the body for heating at least a portion of the mixing valve to a disinfection temperature;
wherein the controller is programmable and includes a memory for storing different settings of at least one of a temperature and a flow rate of outlet water that are inputted through a user interface; and
wherein the memory records when each disinfection cycle is carried out, the disinfection temperature of each disinfection cycle, and a duration of each disinfection cycle.

6. The showerhead of claim 5 , wherein the body is configured to be fixedly mounted to and project from a wall.

7. The showerhead of claim 5 , wherein the body is moveable handset including a stem configured to be inserted into a showerhead dock, and the mixing valve is located in the stem.

8. The showerhead of claim 7 , wherein the body includes a spray head having a first plurality of outlets on a first side of the spray head for discharging water in a first spray pattern and a second plurality of outlets on a second side of the spray head for discharging water in a second spray pattern.

9. The showerhead of claim 8 , wherein the first and second sides of the spray head are opposite sides.

10. The showerhead of claim 9 , wherein a fluid outlet of the mixing valve is connected to the spray head by an outlet conduit that extends through a spray head mount and enters the spray head through at least one pivot.

11. A showerhead configured to receive a supply of cold water and a supply of hot water, the showerhead comprising:
a body comprising a stem and a spray head;
a mixing valve located within one of the stem or the spray head of the body and comprising a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of the cold water to a mixing chamber and a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of the hot water to the mixing chamber;
a first actuator for controlling the first flow control valve;
a second actuator for controlling the second flow control valve; and
a controller located on or within one of the stem or the spray head of the body, the controller configured to send a control signal to control actuation of the first actuator and the second actuator.

12. The showerhead of claim 11 , further comprising a heating element located in the body and provided adjacent to the mixing chamber to heat a metal portion of the mixing valve to a temperature to disinfect the metal portion during a disinfection cycle.

13. The showerhead of claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second flow control valves comprises two associated valve outlets into the mixing chamber for controlling flow of fluids from the first and second flow control valves to the mixing chamber.

14. The showerhead of claim 13 , wherein the two outlets of each of the first and second flow control valves are substantially the same size.

15. The valve of claim 11 , wherein the controller monitors the temperature and controls a power input to the heating element to control the temperature to prevent overheating of the showerhead.

16. The valve of claim 15 , wherein the first actuator is a stepper motor and the second actuator is a stepper motor.

17. A showerhead configured to receive a supply of cold water and a supply of hot water, the showerhead comprising:
a body;
a mixing valve located within the body and comprising:
a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of the cold water to a mixing chamber; and
a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of the hot water to the mixing chamber;

a first actuator for controlling the first flow control valve;
a second actuator for controlling the second flow control valve;
a controller on or within the body, the controller configured to send a control signal to control actuation of the first actuator and the second actuator;
a heating element located in the body and provided adjacent to the mixing chamber to heat a metal portion of the mixing valve to a temperature to disinfect the metal portion during a disinfection cycle; and
a thermistor for monitoring the temperature during the disinfection cycle and controlling a power input to the heating element to control the disinfection temperature to prevent overheating of the mixing valve, wherein the controller controls the heating element.

18. The showerhead of claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to disable the mixing valve during the disinfection cycle.

19. The showerhead of claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to disable the mixing valve for an interval of time after the disinfection cycle.

20. A showerhead configured to receive a supply of cold water and a supply of hot water, the showerhead comprising:
a valve housing comprising a material defining at least a surface of a mixing chamber configured to receive the cold water and the hot water, wherein the material is configured to kill micro-organisms in the mixing chamber;
a first flow control valve in the valve housing for controlling the flow of cold water to the mixing chamber;
a second flow control valve in the valve housing for controlling the flow of hot water to the mixing chamber;
a heating element located in or coupled to the valve housing and configured to heat the surface to a temperature that disinfects the surface; and
a controller for monitoring the temperature and controlling a power input to the heating element to control the temperature to prevent overheating of the showerhead.

21. The valve of claim 20 , wherein the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve are arranged side by side in parallel and on opposite sides of the portion of the mixing chamber, and wherein the material is copper.

22. The va

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

• F16K19/00

  Arrangements of valves and flow lines specially adapted for mixing fluids (multiple-way valves F16K11/00) · CPC title

• Y10T137/86389

  Programmer or timer · CPC title

• F16K31/04

  using a motor · CPC title