Kohler Company

John C Esche

William Robert Bares

Perry D Erickson

Roger W Murphy

David Eugene Hansen

Jill E Hundley

Chad J Cochart

Daniel E Smith

Rafael A Rexach

Gregory De Swarte

Clayton C Garrels

Erich D Slothower

Randy O Mesun

David J O'Connell

Keith E Muellenbach

Joseph L Stauber

Michael J Luettgen

William Kalk

Steven Thomas Radder

Sudip Mukerji

Brad Raymond Hadfield

Joseph Blake

Jeremy Rauwerdink

Steve Radder

Ross Ristow

Leila M Rubin

Jeffrey T Laundre

Fred Ogreenc

Jeffrey C Hildebrand

Amruta Shyam Velapure

Jeff Laundre

Roger Murphy

A tankless toilet includes a bowl, a trapway, and a jet. The bowl includes a rim at an upper portion of the bowl and a sump at a lower portion of the bowl. The trapway extends from the sump to a drain. The jet includes a main channel configured to receive a supply of water from a supply conduit, and a plurality of distribution channels configured to introduce water received from the main channel to at least one of the sump and the trapway. The jet is configured to receive the supply of water from the supply conduit at a first flow rate and induce a flow from the supply of water into the trapway at a second flow rate greater than the first flow rate to prime a siphon within the trapway. The second flow rate is greater than the first flow rate prior to priming the siphon.

Line pressure-driven, tankless, siphonic toilet

A sensor assembly for controlling a flow of water through a faucet includes a shank and a head. The shank is configured to pass through an aperture in a wall and terminates at a flange at a first end of the shank. The head is configured to be coupled to the shank. The head includes a base, a top portion, and circuitry. The base has a first side configured to be supported by a first side of the wall and a second side configured to interface with a first side of the flange. The base includes an opening configured to receive the flange and a hole configured to receive a portion of the shank. The circuitry is configured to be positioned between the cover and a second side of the flange opposite the first side of the flange. The circuitry interfaces with the second side of the flange.

Sensor assembly for faucet

A system for a faucet including a solenoid operated valve and a lifter. The solenoid operated valve includes a valve body including a sealing surface, a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet; a sealing element that is movable relative to the sealing surface to fluidly connect and disconnect the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; and a solenoid configured to selectively couple and decouple the sealing element to the sealing surface to fluidly disconnect and connect the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet. The lifter manually overrides the solenoid operated valve during a power failure, the lifter includes threads that thread to the solenoid operated valve, such that a rotation of the lifter in a first direction moves the lifter through the threads relative to the valve body to decouple the sealing element from the sealing surface.

System and method for manually overriding a solenoid valve of a faucet

A sprayer including a fluid carrier having an inlet configured to receive water from a water source and an outlet for emitting water, and including a vibration source coupled to a portion of the fluid carrier between the inlet and the outlet. When the sprayer is in a first mode of operation, water is emitted from the outlet in a first pattern; and when the sprayer is in a second mode of operation, the vibration source is configured to oscillate the fluid carrier such that water is emitted from the outlet in a second pattern.

Frequency modulated sprayer

A method for controlling touchless operation of a faucet that includes turning on a sensor of the faucet in response to receiving a signal that a mechanical valve of the faucet is in an open position, wherein the mechanical valve is movable between the open position and a closed position; shifting an electronic valve of the faucet from a closed state, in which a fluid does not flow from the faucet, to an open state, in which the fluid is configured to flow from the faucet, in response to a first interruption of a field of detection of the sensor; and shifting the electronic valve to the closed state in response to a second interruption of the field of detection of the sensor, so long as the second interruption follows the first interruption within a predetermined period of time.

System and method to position and retain a sensor in a faucet spout

A faucet that includes a mechanical valve having an outer member and a valve member, wherein the valve member is configured to move radially relative to the outer member between an open position and a closed position; a ring disposed at least partially around the outer member and configured to move in response to the movement of the valve member; and a switch configured to open and close in response to the movement of the ring.

System and method to detect and communicate faucet valve position

A faucet includes a spout base having a first end mounted to a mounting surface and a second end opposite the first end that includes an elbow, more than one water supply line within the spout base, and a hub containing a mixing valve. The hub includes an inlet end and an outlet end. The second end of the spout base and the inlet end of the hub connect together. The inlet end of the hub connects to the water supply lines. The mixing valve is approximately midway between the elbow and a dispensing end of the faucet.

Faucet

A sprayhead retraction assembly includes a hose coupled at a first end to a faucet sprayhead and at a second end to a water source. The assembly further includes a first member having a first portion that is engaged with the hose between the first and second ends of the hose. The assembly further includes a constant-force spring coupled at a first end to a second portion of the first member and coupled at a second end to a fixed surface.

Sprayhead retraction assembly

A method of installing a sprayhead retraction assembly includes providing a portion of a hose in a groove defined by a first pulley, and coupling a first end of a constant-force spring to a first surface. The method further includes coupling a second end of the constant-force spring to a second pulley, and coiling the constant-force spring around the second pulley, wherein the second pulley is coupled to and offset from the first pulley.

A faucet includes a spout; a sprayhead that is moveable relative to the spout between a docked position and an undocked position; a magnet associated with the spout and having a bore; and a magnetically responsive collar associated with the sprayhead and moveable relative to the magnet in an axial direction as the sprayhead moves between the docked and undocked positions. In the docked position, magnetic forces between the magnet and the collar attract a center of the collar to align with a center of the magnet in the axial direction with the collar in the bore of the magnet.

Magnetic docking faucet

A sprayhead retraction assembly includes a first member defining first and second projections, a first pulley axially connected to the first projection, the first pulley configured to receive a hose, a second pulley axially connected to the second projection, and a constant-force spring defining a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the second pulley, such that the constant-force spring is configured to coil around the second pulley, and wherein the second end is configured to be coupled to a surface.

A faucet configured for touchless actuation that includes a spout; a mechanical valve configured to move between an open state and a closed state and having a member radially movable between an open position and a closed position in response to operation of the mechanical valve between the open state and the closed state; an electronic valve configured to move between an open state and a closed state; and a system configured to detect and communicate a state of the faucet in response to the position of the member.

A sensor assembly for controlling a solenoid valve, the solenoid valve controlling the flow of water through a faucet, is described. The sensor assembly includes a head including a bottom portion configured to be supported by a wall and a top portion. The sensor assembly also includes a proximity sensor including a transmitter and receiver. The transmitter projects a beam into a detection zone. The sensor assembly also includes processing electronics configured to cause the solenoid valve to open in response to a receiver detecting a reflection from an object in the detection zone.

A touchless faucet including a tubular spout having a curved portion including an inlet end through which a fluid flow enters the spout and an outlet end through which the fluid flow exits the spout. The outlet end is located forward and downward of an apex of the curved portion and the inlet end is located rearward and downward of the apex. The faucet also includes an electronic valve for controlling the fluid flow and a sensor disposed completely within the spout along an underside of the curved portion adjacent the apex. The sensor includes a transmitter for emitting a signal and a receiver for detecting an interruption of the signal within a detection zone that does not intersect with the fluid flow from the outlet end of the spout. The sensor communicates with the electronic valve to control the fluid flow when the interruption of the signal is detected.

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Kohler, WI, United States of America

John C Esche