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US 12,650,008 B2Granted
Electronic shower valve
AssigneeDelta Faucet Company
InventorsKurt Judson Thomas, Mark A. Cipriani, Michael Scot Rosko, Randy L. Schneider, II, Garry Robin Marty
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic shower valve including a coaxially aligned motor and gear assembly received within a valve body and configured to move a flow control element. Illustratively, a display is supported by the valve body and is in electrical communication with a controller. A manual override may engage with the flow control element for manual operation thereof.
Claims33
An electronic shower valve comprising:
- a valve body;
- and
- a valve cartridge received within the valve body, the valve cartridge including:
- an outer housing including a cylindrical sidewall defining a single internal chamber extending along a longitudinal axis,
- a hot water inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber,
- a cold water inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber,
- a flow control element supported within the internal chamber of the outer housing for rotation about the longitudinal axis to control water flow through the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet;
- a valve shaft operably coupled to the flow control element and coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis;
- a motor assembly positioned radially within the cylindrical sidewall of the outer housing and received within the internal chamber of the outer housing and coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a gear assembly operably coupling the motor assembly and the flow control element, the gear assembly configured to rotate the flow control element, positioned radially within the cylindrical sidewall of the outer housing and received within the internal chamber of the outer housing, such that the gear assembly operably couples with the valve shaft within the internal chamber of the outer housing.
8 more elements
A shower valve cartridge comprising:
- an outer housing including an internal chamber defining a longitudinal axis;
- a hot water inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber;
- a cold water inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber;
- a flow control element supported for rotation about the longitudinal axis to control water flow through the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet;
- a motor assembly received within the internal chamber of the outer housing and coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis;
- a strain wave gearing assembly operably coupling the motor assembly and the flow control element, the strain wave gearing assembly received within the internal chamber of the outer housing and configured to rotate the flow control element;
- and
- wherein the strain wave gearing assembly includes an outer circular spline supported by the outer housing, a flex spline concentrically received within and cooperating with the outer circular spline, and a wave generator including a rotor having an elliptical cam supported for rotation about the longitudinal axis, wherein the flex spline is positioned intermediate the elliptical cam of the wave generator and the outer circular spline, the flex spline configured to be moved relative to the outer circular spline by rotation of the elliptical cam of the wave generator for rotating the flow control element about the longitudinal axis.
5 more elements
An electronic shower valve comprising:
- a valve body;
- and
- a valve cartridge received within the valve body, the valve cartridge including:
- an outer housing including a cylindrical sidewall defining a single internal chamber extending along a longitudinal axis,
- a hot water inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber,
- a cold water inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber,
- a flow control element supported within the internal chamber of the outer housing for rotation about the longitudinal axis to control water flow through the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet,
- a valve shaft operably coupled to the flow control element and coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis,
- a motor assembly positioned radially within the cylindrical sidewall of the outer housing and received within the internal chamber of the outer housing and coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis,
- wherein the motor assembly includes a fixed stator coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis, and a rotor configured for rotation relative to the stator,
- a gear assembly operably coupling the motor assembly and the flow control element, the gear assembly configured to rotate the flow control element, positioned radially within the cylindrical sidewall of the outer housing and received within the internal chamber of the outer housing, such that the gear assembly operably couples with the valve shaft within the internal chamber of the outer housing, and
- wherein the gear assembly is at least partially supported within the outer housing and is coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis;
- a controller;
- an angular sensor configured to detect an angular position of the flow control element and provide a signal indicative thereof to the controller;
- and
- a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of water provided to an outlet and provide a signal indicative thereof to the controller.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.