Speakman Company

Graham H Paterson

Willard A Denham

Barbara E MacKenzie

Andrew Vellrath

Michael D Trenham

Frederick M Kappel

William J Walbrandt

Chris Miedzius

Michael W Boyer

Michael J Santora

George E Berghane

Hui Ling Lee

Bernard K Bedwell

Barry Bedwell

Donald R Cornette

John Crowell

Emil Vulcu

The invention is a flow controller attachable to a water supply. The controller has a body with inlet and outlet connections and a control element positioned between the inlet and outlet. The controller has an actuator extending from the control element that permits selection of three different settings. The first setting aligns a set of openings in the control element with the inlet and outlet of the body permitting unimpeded full flow of water. A second setting aligns another set of openings, which form a weep hole, in the control element to substantially impede flow from the inlet to the outlet. A third setting aligns a third set of openings in the control element with a flow control device, to partially impede flow from the inlet to the outlet, creating a low flow.

Flow control apparatus

A faucet is provided comprising in-service separable parts that can be removed from the faucet without having to remove the entire housing. The faucet includes a main support housing, bolts, brackets and nuts to secure the main support body to a sink surface, two water inlets for connecting hot and cold incoming water lines. A flow control assembly is provided at each inlet to regulate the hot and cold water introduced into a mixing chamber. The valve housing includes an independent adjustable mixing valve for regulating the flow of water, an inline screen filter for removing particulate matter from the water stream, and a check valve for preventing water from returning back to the water source. Upon passing through the check valve and into water mixing housing inlets, the water is mixed in a mixing chamber. From the mixing chamber the water is regulated by a solenoid. When sink users place their hands, or other objects in front of the sensor the solenoid is activated. This permits water to flow into the faucet head portion and ultimately to the user.

Above deck modular faucet assembly

Showerhead

Modular sensor faucet assembly

Faucet housing

Multiple showerhead manifold

A shower head comprising a hollow body connected at one end to a water source, and a face, plate connected at the other end of the hollow body. The face plate includes a plastic substrate having a plurality of circumferential openings and a central opening provided therein. The face plate further has a thermoplastic rubber layer formed on portions of the plastic substrate, including the walls of the plastic substrate circumferential openings. The thermoplastic rubber layer formed on the walls of the plastic substrate circumferential openings includes ridge portions extending away from and circumferentially around the plastic substrate circumferential openings. The shower head further comprises a plurality of plungers connected to a spider, wherein each plastic substrate circumferential opening receives a corresponding plunger and the ridge portions closely surround the plungers. The shower head also comprises a diverter valve having a cylindrical insert communicating with the central opening of the face plate. The cylindrical insert has a plurality of openings formed therein and connects to the spider. The diverter valve has a deformable member arranged on the inside of the cylindrical insert and covers the plurality of openings formed in the insert. When water flowing through plungers is stopped, the water pressure against the deformable member increases and forces the deformable member away from the cylindrical insert openings, allowing water to flow through the central opening of the face plate.

Shower head having a rubber/plastic face plate and a diverter valve using rubber sleeve back pressure activation

Automatic faucet with mated housing

An automatic faucet assembly includes a chassis and a cover removably connected to the chassis, wherein both chassis and cover extend above the surface of a deck of a sink basin. The chassis has a mounting section for mounting the chassis to the surface of the deck. A deck plate is mounted between the mounting section and the surface to provide support and stability to the faucet assembly. The faucet assembly further comprises: a fluid conduit extending through the chassis and connecting a fluid discharge port with a fluid supply; an infrared sensor mounted on the chassis for sensing the presence of a user of the faucet assembly; an electrical connector wire extending from the infrared sensor, through an opening in the deck, to a solenoid valve that turns on the fluid supply when infrared sensor senses the presence of the user; and a battery-operated power supply for supplying power to the infrared sensor. The cover connects with the chassis, providing a sealed chamber for the fluid conduit, infrared sensor, electrical connector wire, and power supply. Upon connection of the cover and chassis, a mechanical microswitch is activated by a switch actuator extending from the cover, enabling the power supply to energize the infrared sensor. Cover and deck plate each comprises a zinc die cast layer formed in the shape of the cover and the deck plate, respectively, a metallic polyester layer formed on the zinc die cast layer, and a substantially clear, polymer layer formed on the metallic polyester layer.

Automatic faucet assembly with mating housing and high endurance finish

A sensor assembly for use with a sink having a faucet hydraulically connected to an electrically operated on/off mechanism for controlling the flow of water from the faucet into the sink. The sensor assembly includes a fiber optic proximity sensor mounted adjacent the sink. The fiber optic proximity sensor directs a visible or infrared ray toward a user's legs, via a transmit fiber, and detects the presence and absence of a user in the immediate vicinity of the sink, via a receive fiber. The senor assembly also includes an adjustable pipe clamp for connecting the sensor assembly to the drain tube of the sink, and a ball-and-socket flexible connector. The ball-and-socket flexible connector provides a conduit through which the transmit and receive fibers are connected to the fiber optic proximity sensor, wherein the proximity sensor electrically connects with the on/off mechanism for controlling the on/off mechanism, so as to turn on the faucet when the presence of the user is detected and turn off the faucet when the absence of a user is detected. The sensor assembly further includes an adjustable connecting means for connecting the sensor assembly to a sink drain tube positioned adjacent to the on/off mechanism.

Sensor assembly having flexibly mounted fiber optic proximity sensor

A sensor assembly for use with a sink having a faucet hydraulically connected to an electrically operated on/off mechanism for controlling the flow of water from the faucet into the sink. The sensor assembly includes a short focus optical sensor mounted adjacent the sink which directs an infrared ray toward a user's legs for detecting the presence and absence of a user in the immediate vicinity of the sink. The senor assembly also includes an adjustable pipe clamp for connecting the sensor assembly to the drain tube of the sink, and a ball-and-socket flexible connector for interconnecting the optical sensor to the adjustable clamp. The optical sensor is electrically connected to the on/off mechanism, via a conduit provided in the ball-and-socket flexible connector, so as to turn on the faucet when the presence of the user is detected and turn off the faucet when the absence of a user is detected.

Sensor assembly having flexibly mounted sensor and adjustable mounting

An electrically controlled faucet is disclosed which is operable by pushing a button or placing hands within the operating range of a sensor. The faucet is mounted to a sink deck or like surface using specially configured gasket means which insure against slippage of the faucet on the deck. The gasketing means provide special channels through which electrical operating wires can be securely passed from the faucet to operating means below the sink deck. These operating means include a solenoid valve that controls fluid flow through the faucet and a temperature control valve fluidly linked to the solenoid valve. Solenoid disabling pressure buildup in the line linking the temperature control valve and solenoid is bled through special bleed means in the temperature control valve inlets.

Gasketing and bleed means for an electrically controlled faucet assembly

Growing community of inventors

Wilmington, DE, United States of America

Graham H Paterson