Arichell Technologies Inc.

Sloan Valve Company

Other

R. Sanderson Management, Inc.

Ric Investments, Inc.

Respironics, Inc.

Sloan Value Company

Kay Herbert

Natan E Parsons

Fatih Guler

Xiaoxiong Mo

Haiou Wu

Yue Zhang

Albert E Sanderson

Robert A Sanderson

Gregory P Greene

John R Wilson

Qiaohong Chen

Martin E Marcichow

Jean Daher

Robert Shamitz

Joshua D Anthony

Joshua P Kinsley

Klaus Renner

David W Hadley

Alfred J Costa

Matthew T Kowalczyk

Klaus H Renner

Matthew Thomas Kowalczyk

Stanley O Thompson

David M Carpenter

Timothy Moulton

Ronald J Vish

Patrick W Truitt

Xu Wang

Reeshi Pradhan

Faith Guler

Jeff Krull

Jean F Daher

Harald Quintus-Bosz

Michael D Cattafe

Wei C Jin

James Counaghton Allen

John Wilson

John F Bragg

Wei Jin

James Connaughton Allen

Xia0xiong Mo

David L Carpenter

Gregory P c/o Arichell Technologies Inc Greene

A light ring assembly for a bathroom fixture. The light ring may illuminate one or more light sources in a predetermined sequence and/or in an overlapping manner to create a pulse of light that traverses the circumference of the light ring. Different patterns, colors, and/or sequences of light may be used to convey messages and signals to owners, maintenance, and/or users.

Light ring for plumbing fixtures

An automatic faucet includes a housing forming partially an internal barrel and a faucet head and being constructed to include at least one water inlet conduit extending into said barrel and a water outlet for delivering water from a spout. The automatic faucet also includes a faucet head having a removable faucet crown and the spout, wherein the faucet crown is removably mounted to the faucet head. The automatic faucet also includes a valve module, a sensor module, a battery module, a turbine module, and a control module. The valve module includes a valve controlled by an electromagnetic actuator for controlling the water flow from the spout. The sensor module is constructed to provide sensor data influenced by a user. The control module is constructed to control opening and closing of the valve by providing signals to the electromagnetic actuator. The control module is also constructed to receive sensor data from the sensor module and execute a sensing algorithm. The control module is also constructed to execute a power management algorithm for managing electrical power generated by the water turbine and provided to and from the battery.

Automatic faucets

A flush actuator for engaging a flush valve. The flush actuator provides a mechanism assembly for automatically flushing the flush valve. A sensor provides a presence detection to trigger the automatic flushing. Redundant manual activation is provided.

Flush actuator

An optical system includes one or several passive optical detectors sensitive to ambient (room) light for controlling, for example, the operation of automatic faucets or automatic bathroom flushers. The passive optical sensors provide signals to flow controllers, including control electronics and flow valves and require only very small amounts of electrical power for sensing users of bathroom facilities, and thus enable battery operation for many years. To control the operation of automatic faucets or automatic bathroom flushers based on ambient light, the controller executes novel algorithms.

Passive sensors and control algorithms for faucets and bathroom flushers

A water delivery system includes a water input port, a control circuit, and a valve device. The water input port is constructed to be coupled to a water conduit receiving water from a remotely located water source. The valve device includes an actuator located near and connected to the water input port; wherein the valve device is constructed to receive control signals from the controller for providing water to a water delivery unit. The controller may be battery operated. The actuator may be a latching actuator, a non-latching actuator, or an isolated latching actuator. The controller may include a microcontroller coupled and to a sensor. The system may include a communication interface constructed and arranged to provide data to the microcontroller. The control circuit may include a power consumption controller. The control circuit includes a voltage regulator.

Automated water delivery systems with feedback control

An automatic faucet includes a housing constructed to receive at least one water inlet conduit and having a spout for delivering water. The automatic faucet includes a valve module, a sensor module, a battery module, a turbine module, and a control module. The valve module includes a valve controlled by an electromagnetic actuator for controlling the water flow from the spout. The sensor module is constructed to provide sensor data influenced by a user. The control module is constructed to control opening and closing of the valve by providing signals to the electromagnetic actuator. The control module is also constructed to receive sensor data from the sensor module and execute a sensing algorithm. The control module is also constructed to execute a power management algorithm for managing electrical power generated by the water turbine and provided to and from the battery.

A bathroom flusher includes a flusher body, a valve assembly, an electronic control system, and a flusher cover. The flusher body includes an inlet and an outlet, and is designed to accommodate the valve assembly that controls water flow between the inlet and the outlet. The valve assembly includes a valve member movable with respect to a valve seat providing a sealing action based on applied pressure on the valve assembly. The bathroom flusher also includes an external cover designed for enclosing an electronic control module comprising a battery, a sensor, and an actuator for controlling operation of the flush valve, wherein the external cover includes at least two cover parts separately removable, and wherein the external cover is attachable with respect to the valve body in a manner also allowing removable attachment of the control module.

Enclosures for automatic bathroom flushers

An actuator including actuator base, bobbin, and pole piece forming a pocket for a ferromagnetic armature located therein. The actuator including a radial magnet and a solenoid coil constructed and arranged to cause a linear displacement of the armature upon application of a coil drive current from a control circuit. The actuator may include a flexible membrane that partially encloses the armature to form an armature chamber filled with an incompressible fluid. In a valve design, a fluid flow is stopped by driving the membrane against a valve seat. Pressure from the controlled fluid in the conduit is transmitted through the membrane to the fluid within the armature chamber so that the armature does not need to counteract force applied to the membrane by the conduit fluid's pressure. A fluid flow is opened by driving the membrane away from the valve seat.

Electromagnetic apparatus and method for controlling fluid flow

A flush actuator for engaging a flush valve. The flush actuator provides a mechanism assembly for automatically flushing the flush valve. A sensor provides a presence detection to trigger the automatic flushing. A reduced flush or standard flush cycle may be initiated.

Dual mode flush actuator

An automatic bathroom flusher includes a flusher body, a valve assembly, an electronic control system, and a flusher cover. The flusher body includes an inlet and an outlet, and is designed to accommodate the valve assembly that controls water flow between the inlet and the outlet. The valve assembly includes a valve member movable with respect to a valve seat providing a sealing action. The bathroom flusher may include a user sensor, and one or more photovoltaic cells for supplying electrical power to the electronic control system. The bathroom flusher enables two or multiple flush volumes in automatic or manual modes, depending on a user action. The bathroom flusher may include a user interface including a button and visible LEDs.

Automatic bathroom flushers

A flow noise restrictor for use with a valve. The flow noise restrictor reduces the flow area as the valve closes and forms vortices to reduce the noise such as due to the Bernoulli effect.

Flow noise restrictor

The present invention is directed to novel optical sensors and novel methods for sensing optical radiation. The novel optical sensors and the novel optical sensing methods are used, for example, for controlling the operation of automatic faucets and flushers. The novel sensors and flow controllers (including control electronics and valves) require only small amounts of electrical power for sensing users of bathroom facilities, and thus enable battery operation for many years. A passive optical sensor includes a light detector sensitive to ambient (room) light for controlling the operation of automatic faucets or automatic bathroom flushers.

Passive sensors for automatic faucets and bathroom flushers

Growing community of inventors

Winthrop, MA, United States of America

Kay Herbert