Shower system
AssigneeKohler Co.
InventorMatthew Joseph Ball
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A shower system includes a water supply conduit, a reservoir, and a valve actuator. The reservoir is fixedly coupled to the water supply conduit such that the reservoir and the water supply conduit are fluidly coupled. The valve actuator is configured for actuation between a first position in which water is supplied from the water supply conduit and a second position in which water is supplied from the reservoir. In some implementations, the shower system further includes a showerhead that is fluidly coupled to the water supply conduit and the reservoir such that water may be supplied from either the water supply conduit to the showerhead or from the reservoir to the showerhead.
Claims20
A shower system, comprising:
- a first conduit;
- a second conduit fluidly coupled to the first conduit at a first end of the second conduit;
- a water delivery device;
- a valve actuator fluidly coupled to both the first conduit and the second conduit, the valve actuator configured to selectively fluidly couple one of the first conduit or the second conduit to the water delivery device;
- and
- a reservoir disposed along the second conduit between the first end of the second conduit and the valve actuator.
A shower system, comprising:
- a water supply conduit;
- a reservoir fluidly coupled to the water supply conduit;
- a water delivery device fluidly coupled to the water supply conduit and the reservoir;
- and
- a valve actuator configured to actuate between a first position in which water is supplied directly from the water supply conduit to the water delivery device and a second position in which water is supplied to the water delivery device from both the water supply conduit and the reservoir.
A valve actuator, comprising:
- a valve body defining a first inlet, a second inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet, the valve body further comprising a central channel extending between the first inlet and the first outlet and also between the second inlet and the second outlet;
- a diverter disposed in the central channel, the diverter movable between an open position in which the first inlet is fluidly coupled to the first outlet and a closed position in which the second inlet is fluidly coupled to the second outlet;
- and
- a biasing member disposed in the central channel between the diverter and the valve body, the biasing member configured to automatically bias the diverter toward the open position when a flow rate of water between the second inlet and the second outlet drops below a threshold value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.