Patents Assigned to Kohler
  • Patent number: 11986132
    Abstract: A method for controlling a toilet air heating device includes: in response to a start instruction, controlling an air heating wire component to heat, controlling an air heating fan to blow air, controlling a drive motor to drive an internal air duct to extend out along an extension direction of an external air duct, and controlling an auxiliary heater to heat, wherein an air heating wire component controller controls the air heating wire component while a master controller controls the air heating fan, the drive motor, and the auxiliary heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Shanghai Kohler Electronics, Ltd.
    Inventor: Desheng Liao
  • Patent number: 11987969
    Abstract: A toilet assembly includes a toilet body and a fluidic oscillator. The toilet body defines a toilet bowl that is configured to receive a volume of fluid therein. The fluidic oscillator is coupled to the toilet body in a rim area of the toilet bowl. The fluidic oscillator is positioned to direct a fluid onto an inner surface of the toilet bowl. The fluidic oscillator is configured to continuously redirect the flow of fluid to different locations along the inner surface of the toilet bowl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Kohler Co.
    Inventors: Clayton C. Garrels, William C. Kuru, William Kalk, Randal S. Graskamp
  • Publication number: 20240157377
    Abstract: A showerhead assembly that includes a showerhead housing, a distributor plate, and a valve layer. The showerhead housing including a top plate, a bottom plate, and a plurality of sidewalls extending between the top plate and the bottom plate. The distributor plate including at least one distributor outlet and is situated in the showerhead housing. The valve layer positioned on the bottom plate and including a plurality of valve assemblies, the valve layer situated in the showerhead housing. The at least one distributor outlet is coupled to, and configured to disperse fluid to, the plurality of valve assemblies of the valve layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2024
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Applicant: Kohler Co.
    Inventors: Pete Kajuch, Joseph Valenti
  • Patent number: 11982372
    Abstract: A valve assembly includes an inlet to receive a fluid into the valve assembly, an outlet to discharge the fluid from the valve assembly and a service stop coupled to the inlet or the outlet. The service stop can rotate relative to the inlet or the outlet to control a flow of the fluid through the inlet or the outlet. The service stop can include a first tool interface to receive a first hand tool and transfer a first torque from the first hand tool to the service stop to facilitate rotating the service stop using the first hand tool. The service stop can include a second tool interface to receive a second hand tool different from the first hand tool and configured to transfer a second torque from the second hand tool to the service stop to facilitate rotating the service stop using the second hand tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: KOHLER CO.
    Inventors: Steven D. Williams, Chad J. Cochart
  • Patent number: 11982073
    Abstract: A faucet includes an internal waterway at least partially formed of a first material. The internal waterway includes a valve seat, a conduit, and a unitary body. The valve seat is configured to receive water. The conduit is coupled to the valve seat. The conduit is in fluid communication with the valve seat and configured to receive the water from the valve seat. The unitary body is formed of a non-metallic material having a processing temperature less than a temperature at which the first material forming the internal waterway is undesirably affected, wherein the unitary body is molded around the internal waterway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: KOHLER CO.
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Kohler, David J. Macon, Mark W. Schibur, Thomas Manoni, Vindhya K. Tiwari, Jeffrey A. Schumacher
  • Patent number: 11982362
    Abstract: A cartridge valve includes a housing, a stem adapter, and a stem assembly. The stem adapter includes a body defining a first hole, which extends in a longitudinal direction. The stem assembly includes a first stem component and a second stem component. The first stem component includes an arm and a spherical portion that is configured to be at least partially positioned within the first hole and defines an opening. The second stem component has a body that is configured to be at least partially received within the opening of the first stem component. The spherical portion is configured to expand in size in response to the first end inserting a portion of the body of the second stem component into the opening in the first stem component, which increases a frictional resistance induced by relative rotation between the stem assembly and the stem adapter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: KOHLER CO.
    Inventors: David H. Ritter, Brian S. Core
  • Patent number: 11980899
    Abstract: A shower assembly includes an inlet port, a reservoir, and a plurality of drop outlet ports. The inlet port receives water from a water source at an inlet flow rate. The reservoir receives water from the inlet port, and is not pressurized by a line pressure of the water source even when the reservoir receives the water at a maximum inlet flow rate of up to 2.5 gallons per minute. Each of the plurality of drop outlet ports is configured such that water passes from the reservoir through the plurality of drop outlet ports, forms a drop at each drop outlet port, and falls from each drop outlet port by gravity only as discrete drops of water. A total flow capacity of the plurality of drop outlet ports is greater than or equal to the maximum inlet flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: KOHLER CO.
    Inventors: Rafael Alfredo Rexach, Stephanie Szemetylo, David J. Richter-O'Connell, Jeffrey James Elsesser, James S. Giefer
  • Patent number: 11982076
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices, methods, and systems for generating and applying a magnetic field in a toilet. A toilet including a bowl having a discharge outlet, a trapway in fluid communication with the discharge outlet, and at least one magnet configured to generate a magnetic field to alter a flow of liquid through the trapway is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Kohler Co.
    Inventors: Jason Kwacz, Yunjie Zhang
  • Publication number: 20240151015
    Abstract: A showerhead assembly includes a handshower and a docking mechanism. The handshower includes a mounting puck mountably coupled to a rear portion of the handshower. The docking mechanism is configured to receive the handshower. The docking mechanism includes a cradle assembly positioned adjacent the handshower that is configured to receive the mounting puck. The cradle assembly includes a first portion, a second portion, and a first O-ring. The second portion is adjacent the first portion. The second portion includes a face extending along a rear of the first portion. The first O-ring is provided annularly about a perimeter of the first portion and the second portion to secure the first portion and the second portion relative to one another. Upon receiving the mounting puck, the mounting puck urges the first portion into an open position to receive the mounting puck within the cradle assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2023
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: Kohler Co.
    Inventor: Brian C. Wick
  • Publication number: 20240151322
    Abstract: A process includes placing a collar around a valve cartridge, the valve cartridge comprising a valve stem. The process also includes aligning the valve stem with an engagement crown of a handle such that an opening of the handle is located over the collar. The process also includes press fitting the valve stem into the engagement crown while pressing the handle towards the collar and such that the valve stem is rotatably coupled to the handle through the engagement crown. The process also includes rotating the handle relative to the collar to rotate the valve stem after press fitting the valve stem into the engagement crown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2024
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: Kohler Co.
    Inventors: Brian J. Mooren, Andrew J. Rieth
  • Patent number: 11976449
    Abstract: A sensing faucet assembly includes a faucet body, an input water control unit, a control box, and a sensor. The faucet body includes a faucet water passage. The control box includes a first water passage and a second water passage. The input water control unit includes a water inlet, a first water outlet, and a second water outlet. The first water passage communicates with the faucet water passage and the first water outlet, and the control box is equipped with a solenoid valve. The second water passage communicates with the faucet water passage and the second water outlet, and the input water control unit is provided with a valve core for controlling the communication and the blocking of the second water outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: KOHLER CO.
    Inventors: Jiagao Huang, Peng Zhang
  • Patent number: 11974703
    Abstract: An apparatus for a portable toilet includes a film storage compartment and a plurality of transport wheels. The film storage compartment is configured to store a liner having a tubular shape. The plurality of transport wheels is configured to transport the liner through a serpentine space. At least one of the plurality of transport wheels includes a high friction area and a hollow area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Kohler Co.
    Inventors: Michael Luettgen, Yogesh Pansare, Swapnil Borade
  • Patent number: 11971335
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for collecting liquid comprising: collecting the liquid, by a pump body mechanism, into a cavity of a suction tube assembly; monitoring, by a liquid-level sensing mechanism, an amount of the liquid collected in the cavity; controlling, by the liquid-level sensing mechanism, a start and a stop of collecting the liquid in response to the amount of the liquid collected in the cavity; and cleaning the cavity by delivering, by the pump body mechanism, water into the cavity in response to the stop of collecting the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Shanghai Kohler Electronics, Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhiyu Qin, Qintao Sun
  • Patent number: 11965322
    Abstract: A toilet includes an inlet structure, a bowl structure, and an outlet structure. The inlet structure is configured to receive water. The bowl structure has a toilet bowl including a rim and a sump, a split fluidly connected to the inlet structure and including a first passage and a second passage, a shelf located below the rim of the toilet bowl and fluidly connected to the first passage, a side channel fluidly connected to the second passage, and a diverter that redirects the water from the side channel to the sump of the toilet bowl. The outlet structure is fluidly connected to the sump and is configured to discharge water from the sump into a drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Kohler Co.
    Inventors: Tony L. Lambert, Daniel N. Halloran, Andrew L. Smith
  • Publication number: 20240125101
    Abstract: A shower system includes a sprayer moveably coupled with a shower column and a control system operably coupled with the sprayer. The control system can automatically change a position of the sprayer along the shower column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Kohler Co.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Chanseol Muraoka
  • Patent number: 11958065
    Abstract: A water delivery device includes an inlet connector, a sprayface assembly, and a selection engine. The inlet connector is configured to couple the water delivery device to a water supply. The sprayface assembly includes a plurality of nozzles that are configured to produce a plurality of spray patterns. The selection engine fluidly couples the inlet connector to the sprayface assembly and controls flow to each one of the plurality of nozzles to determine the spray pattern produced at the sprayface assembly. The selection engine is configured to switch directly from any one of the plurality of spray patterns to any other one of the plurality of spray patterns in response to a single actuation of the selection engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: KOHLER CO.
    Inventors: Evan Yee, Brian S. Core
  • Patent number: 11952762
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a lower position water suction assembly, including a jet flow element configured to convey water in a water tank and outside tap water together into a bowl part of a toilet. The lower position water suction assembly also includes a lower position water suction pipe connected to the jet flow element and configured to convey the water in a lower portion of the water tank into the jet flow element. The lower position water suction pipe includes a water suction pipe port comprising a plurality of projections configured to contact an inner bottom surface of the water tank and draw the water from the lower portion of the water tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Shanghai Kohler Electronics, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junfeng Sun, Yunqing Zang, Minggao Xu
  • Patent number: 11946577
    Abstract: A method of installing a plumbing fixture to an outlet of a water supply assembly located behind a wall includes providing a plumbing fixture including an attachment structure. The method also includes providing an adapter configured to couple the plumbing fixture to an outlet of a water supply assembly. The adapter includes an annular body, a plurality of collars, and an engagement structure. The annular body extends between a first end and a second end and defining a bore extending therethrough. The plurality of collars is provided along an exterior of the annular body and spaced inwardly from the first end such that each of the collars is separated from an adjacent one of the collars in a lateral direction by a recess. The engagement structure is provided along the exterior at the second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: KOHLER CO.
    Inventor: Matthew J. Ball
  • Patent number: D1024294
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Kohler Co.
    Inventor: Erich D. Slothower
  • Patent number: D1028184
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: Kohler Co.
    Inventor: Carlos Uceda