Valve assembly for an electronic faucet
AssigneeDelta Faucet Company
InventorsKurt J. Thomas, Derek A. Brown, Joel D. Sawaski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic faucet includes a spout, a fluid supply conduit supported by the spout, and a valve assembly including an electrically operable valve. A controller is coupled to the valve assembly and includes a processor operative to control the electrically operable valve to control fluid flow through the fluid supply conduit. The controller includes a port in communication with the processor, the port being releasably coupled to electronics of a secondary device.
Claims21
An electrically operable valve assembly for an electronic faucet comprising:
- a valve housing including an outer wall defining an interior region for receiving a fluid;
- a solenoid valve;
- a temperature sensor positioned outside the interior region;
- a thermally conductive heat transfer device extending between the temperature sensor and the interior region to transfer heat from fluid in the interior region to the temperature sensor, the heat transfer device including a shaft portion and a head portion, the shaft portion extending within an opening of the outer wall of the valve housing into the interior region, and the head portion in thermal communication with the temperature sensor;
- a controller in communication with the temperature sensor and operative to control the solenoid valve;
- and
- an electronically controlled valve body assembly in series with the solenoid valve and controlled by the controller to control the temperature of fluid within the interior region in response to input from the temperature sensor.
An electrically operable valve assembly for an electronic faucet comprising:
- a valve housing including an interior region for receiving a fluid;
- a solenoid valve;
- a temperature sensor positioned outside the interior region;
- a heat transfer device extending between the temperature sensor and the interior region to transfer heat from fluid in the interior region to the temperature sensor;
- a controller in communication with the temperature sensor and operative to control the solenoid valve;
- and
- an electronically controlled valve body assembly in series with the solenoid valve and controlled by the controller to control the temperature of fluid within the interior region in response to input from the temperature sensor;
- wherein:
- the solenoid valve includes a solenoid coil and a moveable valve member operably coupled to the solenoid coil;
- and
- the controller includes an electronic circuit board coupled to the valve housing, and a processor mounted to the electronic circuit board to control the solenoid valve, the solenoid coil being mounted to the circuit board.
An electronic faucet comprising:
- a first electrically operable valve assembly including:
- a valve housing including an outer wall defining an interior region for receiving a fluid;
- a solenoid valve;
- a temperature sensor positioned outside the interior region;
- a heat transfer device extending between the temperature sensor and the interior region to transfer heat from fluid in the interior region to the temperature sensor;
- the heat transfer device including a shaft portion and a head portion, the shaft portion extending within an opening of the outer wall of the valve housing into the interior region, and the head portion in thermal communication with the temperature sensor;
- a controller in communication with the temperature sensor and operative to control the solenoid valve of the first electrically operable valve;
- and
- a second electrically operable valve assembly in series with the first electrically operable valve assembly and controlled by the controller to control the temperature of fluid within the interior region in response to input from the temperature sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.