# US 8,150,245 B2 · Shower water heater

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- Number: US 8,150,245 B2
- Document ID: US8150245B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/296,127
- Filed: 2007-03-15
- Published: 2009-12-24
- Granted: 2012-04-03
- Earliest claimed: 2006-04-07
- Assignees: DLP Limited
- Inventors: Robert William Stimpson; Yanchun Wang; James Edward Self; Graham Jones
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8150245B2

## CPC

- E03C 1/044: having a heating or cooling apparatus in the supply line (water heaters, e.g. with continuous flow, F24H)
- B05B 1/1882: {actuated by a linear movement, e.g. push buttons}
- B05B 1/1896: {located in or on the housing}
- B05B 1/192: {combined with features functioning other than as a support or as a portion of the fluid handling elements, e.g. audio systems, speakers or lights}
- B05B 1/24: incorporating means for heating the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. electrically
- B05B 12/00: Arrangements for controlling delivery; Arrangements for controlling the spray area
- E03C 1/041: {having provisions against scalding, e.g. temperature limiting devices, external covers}
- F24D 19/1051: {for domestic hot water}
- F24H 1/102: {with resistance}
- F24H 1/162: {using electrical energy supply}
- F24H 9/2028: {Continuous-flow heaters}
- F24H 15/238: Flow rate
- F24H 15/242: Pressure
- F24H 15/281: Input from user
- F24H 15/31: of valves having only one inlet port and one outlet port, e.g. flow rate regulating valves
- F24H 15/34: Control of the speed of pumps
- F24H 15/37: of electric heaters
- F24H 15/395: Information to users, e.g. alarms
- F24H 15/45: remotely accessible
- H01R 4/363: {with intermediate part between tip and conductive member}
- H01R 9/2416: {Means for guiding or retaining wires or cables connected to terminal blocks}
- H03K 17/964: {Piezoelectric touch switches}
- B05B 1/18: Roses; Shower heads
- F24H 9/25: of remote control devices or control-panels
- H01R 43/005: {for making dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof connection, coupling, or casing}
- Y10T 137/6606: With electric heating element
- E03C: DOMESTIC PLUMBING INSTALLATIONS FOR FRESH WATER OR WASTE WATER (not connected to either water-supply main or to waste pipe A47K; devices of the kind used in the ground E03B, E03F); SINKS
- B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D)
- F24D: DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR (using steam or condensate extracted or exhausted from steam engine plants for heating purposes F01K17/02)
- F24H: FLUID HEATERS, e.g. WATER OR AIR HEATERS, HAVING HEAT-GENERATING MEANS, e.g. HEAT PUMPS, IN GENERAL (steam generation F22)
- H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

An electric shower water heater unit for connection to a water supply and a mains electricity supply comprises a housing having a shower water outlet to which a shower hose is connectable; an electric water heater housed in the housing and fluidly connectable to a water supply outlet of the water supply and electrically connectable to the mains electricity supply, the electric water heater supplying water to the shower water outlet of the housing; a user-operable controller (20) for controlling a temperature and a flow rate of water supplied to the shower water outlet of the housing, and a control circuit which is housed in the housing and which controls the electric water heater based on inputs received from the user-operable controller (20). The user-operable controller includes a touch-pressure sensitive element (40, 49) for pressing by a user and which is in communication with the control circuit. The control circuit only controls the electric water heater when a pressure imparted by a user pressing the touch-pressure sensitive element (40, 49) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electric shower water heater unit for connection to a water supply and a mains electricity supply, the water heater unit comprising a housing having a shower water outlet to which a shower hose is connected or connectable; an electric water heater which is housed in the housing and which is fluidly connected or connectable to a water supply outlet of the water supply and electrically connected or connectable to the mains electricity supply, the electric water heater supplying water to the shower water outlet of the housing; a user-operable controller for controlling a temperature and a flow rate of water supplied to the shower water outlet of the housing, and a control circuit which is housed in the housing and which controls the electric water heater based on inputs received from the user-operable controller; the user-operable controller including a touch-pressure sensitive element for pressing by a user and which is in communication with the control circuit, the control circuit only controlling the electric water heater when a pressure imparted by a user pressing the touch-pressure sensitive element is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and further comprising an audio output circuit so that, when the pressure imparted by a user touching the touch-pressure sensitive element is less than the predetermined value, the control circuit controls the audio output circuit to output an audible indication corresponding to a function associated with the touch-pressure sensitive element.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An electric shower water heater unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user-operable controller includes two said touch-pressure sensitive elements, one for outputting a signal to the control circuit to increase the temperature of the water supplied to the shower water outlet, and the other for outputting a signal to the control circuit to decrease the temperature of the water supplied to the shower water outlet.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An electric shower water heater unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user-operable controller includes two or two further said touch-pressure sensitive elements, one for outputting a signal to the control circuit to increase the flow rate of the water supplied to the shower water outlet, and the other for outputting a signal to the control circuit to decrease the flow rate of the water supplied to the shower water outlet.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

An electric shower water heater unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each touch-pressure sensitive element is a piezo-electric device which is in electrical communication with the control circuit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An electric shower water heater unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control circuit includes digital filters for distinguishing between intended pressure imparted by direct contact from the user with the user-operable controller, and undesired pressure imparted by accidental contact from the user with the user-operable controller or shower water contacting the user-operable controller.

### Claim 6

An electric shower water heater unit for connection to a water supply and a mains electricity supply, the water heater unit comprising a housing having a wall mountable base and cover which is releasably engagable with the base; an electric water heater housed in the housing and connected or connectable to a water outlet of the water supply; a control circuit for controlling the electric water heater; and a two part electrical connector for supplying electricity to the electric water heater and the control circuit, the electrical connector having a base part which is provided in the housing and which is in electrical communication with the electric water heater and the control circuit, a top part which is connectable to cable conductors of a mains power supply cable and which is releasably engagable with the base part, and connector conductors via which, when the top part and base part are engaged, the top part and base part can electrically communicate, so that the electric water heater can be energised and controlled.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

An electric shower water heater unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the base part of the electrical connector is held stationary within the housing.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

An electric shower water heater unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the base part and the top part of the electrical connection include complementary cranks to prevent misalignment.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

An electric shower water heater unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the connector conductors extend in parallel or substantially parallel with each other.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

An electric shower water heater unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the top part includes cable conductor clamps for clamping the cable conductors of the mains power supply cable to the top part of the electrical connector, the cable conductor clamps being in electrical communication with the connector conductors.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

An electric shower water heater unit as claimed in claim 10, further comprising screw threaded fasteners for releasably engaging the top part and the base part of the electrical connector, the screw threaded fasteners being in electrical communication with the connector conductors.