Patents Assigned to Kohler Mira Limited
  • Patent number: 9340959
    Abstract: A plumbing fixture includes a body and a mixing valve within the body. The mixing valve includes a first linear actuator for controlling a first flow control valve within the mixing valve and a second linear actuator for controlling a second flow control valve within the mixing valve. A controller is located within the body and is configured to send control signals to control actuation of the linear actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventor: Kevin T. Peel
  • Patent number: 9340958
    Abstract: A mixing valve includes a cold water inlet, a hot water inlet, and an outlet, first and second flow control valves for controlling the flow of hot and cold water. Each of the first and second flow control valves include a valve inlet, first and second valve outlets communicating with the outlet, and a valve member assembly to control the flow of water through the first and second valve outlets. Each valve member assembly includes a first valve member configured to engage with a first valve seat and a second valve member configured to engage with a second, separate, valve seat. The first valve member is configured to be urged closed by water entering through the valve inlet and the second valve member is configured to be urged open by water entering through the valve inlet such that water exerts substantially no net force on the valve members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventor: Kevin T. Peel
  • Patent number: 9273450
    Abstract: A plumbing component includes a valve provided within a portion of the plumbing component and configured to control the flow of water through the plumbing component. The valve includes a body and at least one waterway within the body. An electric heater extends through at least a portion of the body of the valve and is configured to heat at least a portion of the body to an elevated temperature sufficient to kill organisms within the waterway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventor: Kevin T. Peel
  • Patent number: 9260843
    Abstract: A method of disinfecting a valve configured for use as part of a water delivery system includes activating a heating element that is configured to heat a body of the valve to a temperature sufficient to kill organisms that may be present on internal surfaces of the valve, wherein the heating element and the valve are configured to be provided within the water delivery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventor: Kevin T. Peel
  • Patent number: 9260844
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventor: Kevin T. Peel
  • Patent number: 9260842
    Abstract: A valve for a plumbing fixture includes an internal passageway configured to route fluid through the valve. The internal passageway includes a surface and at least a portion of the valve comprises a thermally-conductive material. The valve also includes an electric heating element configured to heat at least a portion of the thermally-conductive material to an elevated temperature sufficient to disinfect the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventor: Kevin T. Peel
  • Patent number: 9243388
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for attaching a tap to a mounting surface (13) has a clamping assembly inserted through an aperture (11) in the mounting surface (13) and tightened from above the mounting surface (13). The clamping assembly has a pair of clamping arms (25, 27) that are mounted for pivotal movement from a collapsed position for passage through the aperture (11) to an operative position below the mounting surface (11). The clamping arms (25, 27) are operable on tightening the clamping assembly to engage in a first stage an underside of the mounting surface (13) remote from the fluid delivery device and to engage in a second stage a sidewall of the aperture (11) when continuing tightening. Thus a step change in an operating force is required that provides feedback to an installer that a required clamping force has been achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventors: Nigel P. Sansum, Paul A. Gostling
  • Patent number: 9238237
    Abstract: A showerhead (20) has a spray head (32) having a plurality of spray outlets (36, 38,42,44) on different faces is mounted for manual rotation about a single pivot axis both to select a spray outlet and to adjust the direction of the spray for the selected spray outlet. The showerhead can be configured so that flow of water is uninterrupted during changeover between spray modes. Alternative versions of the showerhead are disclosed in which the spray head is mounted for powered rotation, for example by a motor, allowing remote operation of the showerhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventors: Kevin Taylor Peel, Jennifer Ellen Barnard, Simon Westgate, Alexander Fagg, Craig Edwin Baker, Peter Thomas Green
  • Patent number: 9182047
    Abstract: A power operated valve for controlling fluid flow is provided with a fail-safe device responsive to failure of the power supply to the valve to shut-off fluid flow. A valve member is coupled to linear actuator for movement towards and away from a closed position for controlling fluid flow through the valve. The linear actuator is held in a control position by the fail-safe device for normal operation of the valve with the power supply on. The fail-safe device responds to failure of the power supply to release the linear actuator. When the linear actuator is released, energy stored n a spring while the linear actuator was held in the control position is released and biases the linear actuator away from the control position causing the valve member to move to the closed position to shut-off fluid flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventors: Kevin T. Peel, Sean P. Conway
  • Patent number: 9027845
    Abstract: A thermostatic mixing valve having a manually operable actuator for user selection of water temperature and flow rate, where the actuator is configured to permit both simultaneous and independent adjustment of the water temperature and the flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Kohler Mira Limited
    Inventors: Nigel Paul Sansum, Austin Christopher Bumpsteed
  • Patent number: 8939175
    Abstract: A fluid delivery system has an inner pipe (10) and an outer pipe (12). The inner pipe (10) is fixed and the outer pipe (12) is slidable relative to the inner pipe (10) in an axial direction lengthwise of the inner pipe (10). The inner pipe (10) has an inlet (2) and an outlet (4). The outer pipe (12) has two outlets (6 and 8). The inlet (2) is connectable to a fluid source and the outlets are connectable to appliances such as a shower, bath or washbasin. The outer pipe (12) is slidable along the inner pipe (10) to connect selectively the inlet (2) to one or more of the outlets (4, 6, 8) individually or in combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Kohler Mira Limited
    Inventors: Benjamin Lea, Nigel Paul Sansum
  • Patent number: 8876023
    Abstract: A showerhead (20) has a spray head (32) having a plurality of spray outlets (36, 38,42,44) on different faces is mounted for manual rotation about a single pivot axis both to select a spray outlet and to adjust the direction of the spray for the selected spray outlet. The showerhead can be configured so that flow of water is uninterrupted during changeover between spray modes. Alternative versions of the showerhead are disclosed in which the spray head is mounted for powered rotation, for example by a motor, allowing remote operation of the showerhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Kohler Mira Limited
    Inventors: Kevin Taylor Peel, Jennifer Ellen Barnard, Simon Westgate, Alexander Fagg, Craig Edwin Baker, Peter Thomas Green
  • Publication number: 20140261694
    Abstract: A power operated valve for controlling fluid flow is provided with a fail-safe device responsive to failure of the power supply to the valve to shut-off fluid flow. A valve member is coupled to linear actuator for movement towards and away from a closed position for controlling fluid flow through the valve. The linear actuator is held in a control position by the fail-safe device for normal operation of the valve with the power supply on. The fail-safe device responds to failure of the power supply to release the linear actuator. When the linear actuator is released, energy stored n a spring while the linear actuator was held in the control position is released and biases the linear actuator away from the control position causing the valve member to move to the closed position to shut-off fluid flow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventors: Kevin T. Peel, Sean P. Conway
  • Patent number: D708302
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Kohler Mira Limited
    Inventors: David Antony Pixton, Christopher Ian Thompson, Simon Mark Browning
  • Patent number: D726880
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Kohler Mira Limited
    Inventors: Gary John Kington, Simon Mark Browning
  • Patent number: D733260
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventors: Christopher Ian Thompson, David Antony Pixton
  • Patent number: D740399
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventors: Christopher Ian Thompson, David Antony Pixton
  • Patent number: D746949
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventors: Christopher Ian Thompson, David Antony Pixton
  • Patent number: D757909
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventors: Christopher Ian Thompson, David Antony Pixton
  • Patent number: D757910
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventors: Christopher Ian Thompson, David Antony Pixton