Kohler Company

Jeffrey F Tempas

Randy O Mesun

Norman J Jaeckels

Santosh R Narasimhan

Anton J Kolar

Scott R Knapp

John A Fiumefreddo

Michael P Gray

Benjamin W Marotz

Fred Ogreenc

Thomas C Jorsch

David P Ourada

Kenneth A Lefeber

Charles R Kopplin

Michael R Bates

Peter William Swart

Bruce M Sauter

Carter J Thomas

Christopher B Hisey

Michael D Steinhardt

Dana F Buccicone

Carl F Mueller

Robert B Sandman

Kathleen S DeKeyser

Ronald A Bauer

Steven A Abitz

Benjamin S Cohen

James N Jaeckels

Darren R Wojahn

Adam W Dwyer

Logan M Tatem

A valve for a toilet includes an inlet and a gate configured to prevent fluid flow through the inlet. The gate includes an at least partially spherical surface and is configured to pivot eccentrically relative to the spherical surface.

Toilet bowl discharge valve assembly

A support member for a bathtub comprises a base and a plurality of flexible elements. The base includes an upper surface configured to be coupled to a bathtub. The plurality of flexible elements extend laterally outward from a side of the base and are configured to engage a lower portion of the bathtub.

Bathtub support member

A wall-entry bathtub includes a basin, a shell defining an entryway to allow access into the basin, and an entry wall movable between a lowered position and a raised position, wherein the entry wall is substantially clear of the entryway in the lowered position and at least partially blocks the entryway in the raised position. The bathtub also includes first and second entry wall position sensors configured to sense the position of the entry wall and a controller in electronic communication with the first and second entry wall position sensors, wherein the controller is configured to control components of the bathtub based at least in part on the position of the entry wall.

Wall-entry bathtub

A bathtub rim assembly is disclosed that includes a support structure that is capable of engaging a rim of a bathtub to prevent substantial deformation and damage to a cantilevered ledge of the bathtub. The rim assembly further includes a skirt that obscures the support structure to maintain a unitary appearance of the overall bathtub assembly.

Bathtub rim assembly

A wall-entry bathtub includes an entry wall movable between a raised position and a lowered position to provide convenient ingress and egress. A handle assembly is coupled to a pair of latches and brackets to selectively restrain the wall-entry bathtub in the raised position. A counterweight assembly is coupled to the entry wall and reduces the force required to move the entry wall between the lowered and raised positions. The entry wall also includes a seal member that is expandable to inhibit water from leaking past the entry wall when the wall-entry bathtub is in use. Dual drains are provided to reduce the time required to drain water from the wall-entry bathtub. And, a controller, in combination with a variety of sensors, applies predetermined logic to control the water filling, entry wall sealing, and water draining of the wall-entry bathtub.

Disclosed are trap valve assemblies for controlling flow from a toilet bowl to a trap way. In one form there is a cartridge unit positionable immediately below a toilet bowl discharge outlet. It has a pivotable gate in a form of a spherical segment. The gate has an eccentric pivoting motion so that it can swing from an open position to a blocking/closing position in which it fully contacts a sealing gasket. The spherical segment has a leading edge which is approximately between +40&#xb0; and &#x2212;40&#xb0; from vertical when the gate is in an open position, to minimize the energy required to close the gate. In another form a ball and socket connection to the gate valve facilitates sealing.

A seat assembly for sliding along opposing rims of a bathtub is disclosed. The seat assembly includes a seat member, a friction element affixed to the seat member so as to extend under the seat member, and a flexible slider affixed to the seat member so as to also extend under the seat member. The slider and friction element are positioned and configured so that in a first state, if the seat member is positioned on the opposing rims without additional weight on the seat member, the slider holds the friction element up off a rim while facilitating sliding of the seat member along a rim. In a second state, if the seat member is positioned on the opposing rims with a human weighing over 50 pounds sitting on the seat member, the friction element can contact the rim and thereby impede sliding of the seat member along a rim.

Slidable seat assembly for a bathtub

An open-ended coupler for joining a pipe to a larger opening defines a passageway having straight and angled sections. The straight section has a uniform inner diameter concentric about a centerline sized to receive the outer diameter of the pipe. The angled section has a narrow end with an inner diameter less than that of a wide end and of the straight section, and being at least as large as the inner diameter of the pipe. The angled section has an upper portion above the centerline that at least in part increases in radius from the narrow end to the wide end. A lower portion has a constant radius, at least along a line extending between the narrow and wide ends at a six o'clock position with respect to the open end of the angled section. A face groove holds an o-ring and an alignment tab fixes the rotational orientation of the coupler.

Non-damming coupler

An apparatus is provided to control a plumbing fixture, such as a whirlpool, that has electrically operated components. The apparatus has a dial that is moveable by the user into a plurality of positions to select a function of the plumbing fixture to be controlled. A unique sensor arrangement detects motion and the direction of the motion and provides a signal to a controller that changes the valve of a pointer that designates which function is presently selected. The user then presses a keypad to indicate whether the selected function is to be activated or deactivated and to control the intensity of the selected function. The signals from the keypad also are applied to the controller.

User interface for controlling a whirlpool tub

A toilet has a pump to deliver selected quantities of water from a reservoir to a toilet bowl so as to effect a water savings. In one aspect, both the motor and pump are positioned in the reservoir to deliver water to both the rim and bowl portions. In another aspect, there are conduits connected between the basin, the rim and controls which are provided to deliver water to the rim and bowl either independently, simultaneously or in selective sequences. In alternative embodiments, a refill tube is connected to an intake conduit and the rim of the bowl to effect a water seal, a fail safe valve is connected to the supply conduit, a receptacle with a cleaning fluid and a pump is connected to the bowl and there are at least two receptacles for receiving waste.

Pump operated plumbing fixture

There is disclosed a pressure-compensated mixing valve of the diaphragm and reciprocating piston type, wherein a flexible connection between the diaphragm and the pistons is provided. This flexible connection affords a self-alignment of the pistons in water inlet passages. In a preferred manner, this is used with a mixing valve providing alignment of a ported ring member that also provides in part an internal stop feature.

Mixing valve

An apparatus for pulsing water flowing to a shower head includes a housing with a chamber, first and second water inlets to the chamber and a water outlet. The second inlet and the outlet are located through a wall of the housing at one end of the chamber. A valve has a plate with a plurality of apertures. The valve disposed within the chamber so that water flowing through the first inlet urges the valve into close proximity to the housing wall where rotational movement of the valve alternately opens and closes the water outlet. That action creates a pulsed flow of water through the outlet. Water flowing into the chamber through the second inlet moves the valve plate away from the housing wall permitting water to flow continuously from the second inlet into the outlet without being pulsed. A mechanism is coupled to the valve to produce the rotational movement.

Fluid pulse generating apparatus

A sink assembly is disclosed that has a separate rim and basin made of different materials. The basin has a flange surrounding a bowl that is exposed under the rim to form an accessible ledge. A glass-filled polyester resin is injected into a mold adjacent the underside of the rim member and the flange. The polyester resin bonds with the rim member and prevents the basin from moving relative to the rim member.

Growing community of inventors

Oostburg, WI, United States of America

Jeffrey F Tempas