Kohler Mira Limited

Kohler Company

Kevin Taylor Peel

Sean Patrick Conway

Nigel Paul Sansum

Craig Fitton

Nicholas John Beck

Chanseol Chung

Alexander Colin Fagg

Jennifer E Barnard

Simon Westgate

Robin Whitfield

Craig Edwin Baker

Bruce Lewin John Hayward

Peter Thomas Green

Paul Vigars

Geoffrey Hawke Whale

Timothy James Shepherd

Jennifer Ellen Barnard

At least one embodiment relates to a mirror assembly. The mirror assembly includes an interior portion and a wall. The wall includes an exterior reflective surface. At least a portion of the wall can allow light to pass from the interior portion through the wall. The mirror assembly includes a light source and a lens located within the interior portion. The lens can be arranged to receive light from the light source and to direct such light through the portion of the wall so as to project an image beyond the exterior reflective surface.

Systems and methods for controlling a plumbing fixture, smart mirror, and the like using projected images

The present disclosure relates to a recirculating shower system. The recirculating shower system may include a first shower outlet and a second shower outlet. The recirculating shower system may include a fresh water conduit fluidly coupled to the first shower outlet and a recirculated fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the second shower outlet. The fresh water conduit and the recirculated fluid conduit may be arranged such that warmer fresh water flowing through the fresh water conduit may heat cooler recirculated fluid flowing through the recirculated fluid conduit.

Recirculating shower system

A plumbing fitting includes a housing and a missing valve. The housing includes a first aperture, a second aperture, a third aperture, and a mixing chamber in fluid communication with the first aperture, the second aperture, and the third aperture. The mixing valve is disposed within the housing. The mixing valve includes a first flow control valve that is configured to control a first flow of fluid from the first aperture to the mixing chamber.

Mixing valve

A mixing valve that includes a housing having a first outlet, a second outlet, and a mixing chamber; a first flow control valve for controlling flow through the first outlet to the mixing chamber; and a second flow control valve for controlling flow through the second outlet to the mixing chamber; wherein the housing has a length dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension, and the largest of these dimensions is no more than approximately 65 millimeters.

A plumbing component includes a valve provided within a portion of the plumbing component and configured to control the flow of water through the plumbing component. The valve includes a body and at least one waterway within the body. An electric heater extends through at least a portion of the body of the valve and is configured to heat at least a portion of the body to an elevated temperature sufficient to kill organisms within the waterway.

Plumbing fixture with heating element

A shower head having a stem; a spray head coupled to the stem; a mixing valve located within the stem or the spray head, the mixing valve having a first valve member assembly for controlling a first fluid flow to a mixing chamber and a second valve member assembly for controlling a second fluid flow to the mixing chamber. Each valve member assembly includes a spool, a first valve member on the spool that engages with a first valve seat in a closed position and a second valve member on the spool that engages with a second, separate, valve seat in the closed position. An electrically powered first motor is located within the stem or the spray head. The first motor is coupled to the first valve member assembly to control movement of the first valve member assembly to control the flow of the first fluid to the mixing chamber.

Shower head with integrated mixing valve

A water delivery device that includes a body having a cold water inlet, a hot water inlet, and an outlet; a mixing valve in the body, and a touchscreen user interface on a surface of the body. The mixing valve includes a housing having a mixing chamber that is fluidly connected to the outlet, a first flow control valve moveably disposed in the housing to control a cold water flow from the cold water inlet to the mixing chamber, and a second flow control valve moveably disposed in the housing to control a hot water flow from the hot water inlet to the mixing chamber. The touchscreen user interface allows a user to control a temperature and/or a flow rate of water from the outlet by controlling the first and second flow control valves.

Plumbing fixture with user interface

A shower head that includes a movable handset, a mixing valve, and an electric heater. The movable handset includes a stem configured to detachably engage a shower head dock, and a spray head coupled to the stem and configured to discharge water. The mixing valve is disposed within the movable handset and includes a housing including a waterway located therein for water to flow through, a first flow control valve located within the housing and configured to control the flow of hot water to the spray head, and a second flow control valve located within the housing and configured to control the flow of cold water to the spray head. The electric heater is disposed within the movable handset and configured to heat at least part of the housing to an elevated temperature sufficient to kill organisms within the waterway.

A valve comprising a first flow control valve for controlling flow of a first fluid from a first source; a second flow control valve for controlling flow of a second fluid from a second source; a first actuator that controls movement of the first flow control valve; a second actuator that controls movement of the second flow control valve; and a fail-safe device that holds each of the first and second actuators in a control position in response to electric power being supplied to the valve, wherein the fail-safe device releases the first and second actuators in response to an absence of electric power being supplied to the valve such that the first actuator and the first flow control valve move toward a closed position and such that the second actuator and the second flow control valve move toward a closed position.

Valve with fail-safe device

A method including configuring a valve so that an operating force to actuate the valve when in an open position is substantially independent of water flow. The valve includes a first valve member assembly comprising a spool having a connector portion; a first valve member mounted on the spool at a first location and configured to seat against a first valve outlet in a closed position of the valve; and a second valve member mounted on the spool at a second location spaced apart from the first location and configured to seat against a second valve outlet in the closed position of the valve. The method also includes controlling the valve to output a flow of the water having a desired flow rate by moving the spool in a linear direction with a portion of a stepper motor coupled directly to the connector portion of the spool.

Method of controlling mixing valve

A plumbing fitting having a body and a housing located in the body that includes a first inlet for receiving the first fluid, a second inlet for receiving the second fluid, and a mixing chamber. The plumbing fitting includes a first flow control valve operatively coupled to the housing; a second flow control valve operatively coupled to the housing; and an actuator assembly configured to move the first flow control valve relative to the housing to control flow of the first fluid from the first inlet to the mixing chamber, such that the first fluid exerts substantially no net force on the first flow control valve, and configured to move the second flow control valve relative to the housing to control flow of the second fluid from the second inlet to the mixing chamber, such that the second fluid exerts substantially no net force on the second flow control valve.

A mixing valve having a housing and first and second flow control valves. The housing has a mixing chamber, a first outlet, and a second outlet. The first flow control valve controls fluid flow through the first outlet to the mixing chamber, and the second flow control valve controls fluid flow through the second outlet to the mixing chamber. The first and second outlets each have a size so that the mixing valve has a flow coefficient of approximately 2.5 in a mid-open position of both flow control valves, and the housing has a length dimension, a width dimension, and a thickness dimension, and the largest of these dimensions is no more than approximately 65 millimeters.

A shower head having a stem, a spray head coupled to the stem and including a plurality of outlets for discharging water into at least one spray pattern, and a mixing valve located within the stem. The mixing valve has a housing having a first inlet, a second inlet and an outlet; a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of a first fluid from the first inlet to the outlet; and a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of a second fluid from the second inlet to the outlet. The shower head also has a touchscreen user interface located on a surface of the shower head, wherein the touchscreen user interface allows a user to control at least one of a temperature or a flow rate of fluid from the outlet to the spray head by controlling the first and second flow control valves.

Growing community of inventors

Gloucester, United Kingdom

Kevin Taylor Peel