Patents by Inventor Mark Frederick Florencio Barton

Mark Frederick Florencio Barton has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220307243
    Abstract: A plumbing component includes a cold water inlet; a hot water inlet; an outlet configured to output cold water, hot water, or a mixture thereof; a flow shut-off mechanism for restricting the flow of water out of the outlet; a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of cold water; and a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of hot water. Each of the flow control valves comprises a valve member and an associated valve seat, each valve member arranged to engage with the associated valve seat to control the flow of water through the flow control valves to the water outlet. One or both of the valve members includes a graduated flow control bead arranged to seal against the associated valve seat to provide a graduated flow transition between a maximum flow state and a minimum flow state of the, or each, control valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Barry Steven HOBBS, Mark Frederick Florencio BARTON, Philip Peter INESON, Alexander Colin FAGG
  • Patent number: 11391021
    Abstract: A plumbing component includes a cold water inlet; a hot water inlet; an outlet configured to output cold water, hot water, or a mixture thereof; a flow shut-off mechanism for restricting the flow of water out of the outlet; a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of cold water; and a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of hot water. Each of the flow control valves comprises a valve member and an associated valve seat, each valve member arranged to engage with the associated valve seat to control the flow of water through the flow control valves to the water outlet. One or both of the valve members includes a graduated flow control bead arranged to seal against the associated valve seat to provide a graduated flow transition between a maximum flow state and a minimum flow state of the, or each, control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: KOHLER MIRA LIMITED
    Inventors: Barry Steven Hobbs, Mark Frederick Florencio Barton, Philip Peter Ineson, Alexander Colin Fagg
  • Publication number: 20220121229
    Abstract: A control system for one or more ablutionary devices includes a mixer valve having a first inlet and a second inlet configured to receive a supply of hot and cold water, and an outlet configured to output cold water, hot water or a mixture thereof as an output stream for suppling water to the one or more ablutionary devices downstream of the mixer valve; and a controller. The controller is configured obtain one or more current operating signals related to the flow rate of the output stream produced by the mixer valve and compare each of the one or more current operating signals to a corresponding historical operating signal, the historical operating signal being an operating signal previously obtained by the controller, and to generate a diagnostic signal based on the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Kohler Mira Limited
    Inventors: Barry Steven Hobbs, Mark Frederick Florencio Barton
  • Publication number: 20220121228
    Abstract: A control system for one or more ablutionary devices, comprising: a mixer valve having a first inlet and a second inlet configured to receive a supply of hot and cold water, and an outlet configured to output cold water, hot water or a mixture thereof as an output stream for suppling water to the one or more ablutionary devices downstream of the mixer valve; and a controller in communication with the mixer valve. The controller is configured to control the mixer valve according to one or more target output water properties; obtain one or more operating signals each related to an operating parameter of the control system; and generate, based on the one or more operating signals, a diagnostic signal that indicates an associated failure mode of the water supply if the mixer valve cannot be controlled to reach the one or more target water output properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Kohler Mira Limited
    Inventors: Barry Steven Hobbs, Mark Frederick Florencio Barton, Charles Maxwell Parker
  • Publication number: 20220121232
    Abstract: A control system for one or more ablutionary devices includes a mixer valve having a first inlet and a second inlet configured to receive a supply of hot and cold water, and an outlet configured to output cold water, hot water or a mixture thereof as an output stream for suppling water to the one or more ablutionary devices downstream of the mixer valve; and a controller in communication with the mixer valve. The controller is configured to obtain a supply coupling setting that indicates which of the first and second inlets is to receive, or is receiving, hot water during operation of the control system and which of the first and second inlets is to receive, or is receiving, cold water during operation of the control system; and control the mixer valve according to one or more target output water properties and the supply coupling setting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Kohler Mira Limited
    Inventors: Barry Steven Hobbs, Alexander Colin Fagg, Mark Frederick Florencio Barton, Charles Maxwell Parker
  • Publication number: 20200263398
    Abstract: A plumbing component includes a cold water inlet; a hot water inlet; an outlet configured to output cold water, hot water, or a mixture thereof; a flow shut-off mechanism for restricting the flow of water out of the outlet; a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of cold water; and a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of hot water. Each of the flow control valves comprises a valve member and an associated valve seat, each valve member arranged to engage with the associated valve seat to control the flow of water through the flow control valves to the water outlet. One or both of the valve members includes a graduated flow control bead arranged to seal against the associated valve seat to provide a graduated flow transition between a maximum flow state and a minimum flow state of the, or each, control valve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: Kohler Mira Limited
    Inventors: Barry Steven Hobbs, Mark Frederick Florencio Barton, Philip Peter Ineson, Alexander Colin Fagg