Abstract: A plumbing fixture includes a touchscreen user interface on a surface of a plumbing fixture. The touchscreen user interface is configured to allow a user to control at least one of the temperature or flow rate of a fluid exiting the plumbing fixture by controlling a mixing valve located within a body of the plumbing fixture.
Abstract: A flow control valve including a linear electric actuator for controlling flow through the valve, and a closure device operable to close the valve independently of the linear electric actuator if the linear actuator is disabled when the valve is open.
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.
Abstract: A thermostatic mixing valve has an enhanced response to temperature change by arranging one of the hot water and cold water flows into a series of jets that intersect the other flow such that the proportions of hot water and cold water mixing at the surface of the thermostat is made to respond to the inlet water pressure to augment the temperature change normally experienced at the surface of the thermostat.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 5, 2010
Date of Patent:
August 27, 2013
Assignee:
Kohler Mira Limited
Inventors:
Nigel Paul Sansum, Richard Timothy Hopson
Abstract: A thermostatic mixing valve for hot and cold water has a valve member for controlling the relative proportions of hot and cold water admitted to a mixing chamber according to user selection of a desired water temperature and a thermostat responsive to the mixed water temperature to adjust the position of the valve member to maintain constant the selected water temperature. The valve member is biased by a return spring in the form of a wave spring having a plurality of turns with transverse waves configured such that adjacent turns sit peak to peak. The wave spring is strong in compression and weak in torsion allowing the ends of the spring to move laterally to accommodate any misalignment in the components of the valve.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 15, 2005
Date of Patent:
May 1, 2012
Assignee:
Kohler Mira Limited
Inventors:
Nigel Paul Sansum, Richard Timothy Hopson
Abstract: An ablutionary installation including a mixing valve having respective inlets for hot and cold water and an outlet for temperature controlled water, a temperature sensor for monitoring outlet water temperature and providing a signal representative of the outlet water temperature to an electronic controller, a user interface permitting selection of outlet water temperature up to a pre-determined temperature, the electronic controller being operable to compare the selected and sensed outlet water temperatures for controlling the mixing valve to adjust the ratio of hot and cold water delivered to the outlet according to the selected outlet water temperature, and apparatus for initiating a disinfection cycle to deliver water to the outlet at a temperature higher than the pre-determined temperature, wherein the initiating apparatus includes an operating sequence with at least two inputs.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 18, 2006
Date of Patent:
October 25, 2011
Assignee:
Kohler Mira Limited
Inventors:
Kevin Peel, Timothy James Shepherd, Geoffrey Hawke Whale, Paul Vigars, Nicholas John Beck
Abstract: A thermostatic mixing valve has an enhanced response to temperature change by arranging one of the hot water and cold water flows into a series of jets that intersect the other flow such that the proportions of hot water and cold water mixing at the surface of the thermostat is made to respond to the inlet water pressure to augment the temperature change normally experienced at the surface of the thermostat.
Type:
Application
Filed:
March 5, 2010
Publication date:
September 2, 2010
Applicant:
Kohler Mira Limited
Inventors:
Nigel Paul Sansum, Richard Timothy Hopson
Abstract: A thermostatic mixing valve having a hot water inlet for connection to a supply of hot water, a cold water inlet for connection to a supply of cold water, an outlet for temperature controlled water and a valve device for controlling the relative proportions of hot and cold water admitted to a mixing chamber. The outlet communicates with the mixing chamber to receive temperature controlled water having a desired temperature. A temperature control adjusts the valve device in accordance with the desired temperature of the temperature controlled water where the valve device and the mixing chamber form flow passages for the incoming streams of hot and cold water and are configured such that the velocity of the incoming water streams is maintained and the incoming water streams are turned to flow in the same direction so that flow of one stream can entrain and assist flow of the other stream.
Type:
Application
Filed:
January 14, 2010
Publication date:
May 20, 2010
Applicant:
Kohler Mira Limited
Inventors:
Nicholas John Beck, Sean Patrick Conway, Bruce Lewin John Hayward, Kevin Taylor Peel
Abstract: A thermostatic mixing valve for hot and cold water has two-stage inlet chambers for the hot and cold water flows respectively. The inlet chambers distribute the flows uniformly with respect to porting for admitting the flows to the mixing chamber to reduce asymmetric flow patterns and promote thorough mixing of the flows within the mixing chamber.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 18, 2007
Date of Patent:
March 2, 2010
Assignee:
Kohler Mira Limited
Inventors:
Nicholas John Beck, Sean Patrick Conway, Bruce Lewin John Hayward, Kevin Taylor Peel
Abstract: A thermostatic mixing valve for hot and cold water has two-stage inlet chambers for the hot and cold water flows respectively. The inlet chambers distribute the flows uniformly with respect to porting for admitting the flows to the mixing chamber to reduce asymmetric flow patterns and promote thorough mixing of the flows within the mixing chamber.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 26, 2003
Date of Patent:
July 10, 2007
Assignee:
Kohler Mira Limited
Inventors:
Nicholas John Beck, Sean Patrick Conway, Bruce Lewin John Hayward, Kevin Taylor Peel
Abstract: A thermostatic mixing valve for hot and cold water has two-stage inlet chambers for the hot and cold water flows respectively. The inlet chambers distribute the flows uniformly with respect to porting for admitting the flows to the mixing chamber to reduce asymmetric flow patterns and promote thorough mixing of the flows within the mixing chamber.
Type:
Application
Filed:
June 26, 2003
Publication date:
January 1, 2004
Applicant:
Kohler Mira Limited
Inventors:
Nicholas John Beck, Sean Patrick Conway, Bruce Lewin John Hayward, Kevin Taylor Peel