As America, Inc.

Whirlpool Corporation

As IP Holdco, LLC

Whirpool Corporation

Verne Myers

Mahendra Gunawardena

Walter Pitsch

Xiaojing Ye

Nihat O Cur

Behnam Heydari

Steven John Kuehl

Aaron B Eiger

Philip M Anthony, Iii

Nathan J Wicker

Eric B Soberano

Nitin S Kolekar

Niloy Talukder

Alanna Wing Libbrecht

Jean-Jacques L'Henaff

James William Kendall

Emilie Williams

Gabriela Ravassa

Gregory Gene Hortin

Greg Reinecker

Mark M Senninger

Brian Kalember

Timothy A Kee

Ki Bok Song

Jim J Pastryk

David Grover

Ginger Elayne Patera

Benjamin J Smith

Daryl Lee Harmon

Marcos Heinzle

Mark H Nelson

Alexandre C Azevedo

Chris Helmstetter

Andrew M Oltman

Steven D Kappus

Leandro Berno Lidio

Guolian Wu

Robert M Jensen

Douglas Fornell Leavitt

Soonjae Kwon

David P Cooper

Victor W Cuthbert

Scott Hugh Bradford

Devinder Singh

Beth M Jackson

Joseph R Peters

Steven Edward Tolliver

Christopher Helmstetter

Marco Casucci

Heng Tong Pit

James R Peterson

Joel Graham Vanfaasen

Kirk W Goodwin

Italo Renzo Menegon

Claudia Marcela Jovel

Sara Manfredini-Taube

Torsten Rickard Mathias-Tingstrom

Alisson Costa DaSilva

Noelle Giblin

Gustvo Lazzaris De Bona

Jeffrey A Miller

Gordon Jay Stannis

Alisson Costa Dasilva

Gustvo Lazzaris Debona

Stanmir Stoynov

Christopher Thomas Buhowski

Benjamin Smith

Philip M Anthony

Eric Soberano

Described are embodiments of a shower assembly that includes modular components that can be removably attached and may be replaced or interchanged with corresponding components having different form factor or design. In some embodiments, the shower assembly includes a diverter unit fluidly coupled to a fluid source and the diverter unit is configured to selectively direct flow of fluid from the fluid source to one or both of a shower head and a hand shower. The shower head includes a first plurality of nozzles configured to dispense fluid and the shower head is configured to be removably fluidly coupled to the diverter unit. The hand shower includes a second plurality of nozzles configured to dispense fluid and fluidly coupled by a hose to the diverter unit and the hand shower is configured to be removably attachable to the diverter unit by a connector.

Shower system

A faucet system comprising a faucet; an electronic valve associated with the faucet; and a faucet controller associated with the electronic valve; wherein the faucet controller is configured to receive a faucet command from a command server; and actuate the electronic valve upon receiving the faucet command; wherein the command server is configured to receive a speech-based command from a natural language processing (NLP) server; generate the faucet command from the speech-based command and transmit the faucet command to the faucet controller; and wherein the NLP server is remote to the faucet.

Voice-controlled faucet

An automatic angle stop assembly for a urinal or toilet may include an angle stop adjustment device and an angle stop. The automatic angle stop assembly may automatically control flow through the angle stop to a flush valve. The automatic angle stop assembly may include a motor and an adjustment screw. A method for closing the angle stop may include sensing a flow condition, automatically rotating a motor based on the flow condition, and closing the angle stop.

Angle stop assembly

A sanitaryware system may include sensors to determine a status or condition of one or more sanitaryware fixtures in the sanitaryware system and perform a particular function, such as, for example performing a flush, closing the flush valve and/or angle stop, sending an alert, initiating a service ticket. The sanitaryware system may automatically perform the function. The sanitaryware system may communicate the status or condition to an internet connected device and/or user, the device may perform the function or may instruct the sanitaryware to perform the function. The sensed information, sanitaryware system status or condition, and/or initiated response may be logged and monitored to improve the overall efficiency and operation of the sanitaryware system and the sanitaryware fixtures within the system.

Connected sanitaryware systems and methods

A method and system having a water-flush toilet having a toilet bowl that is in fluid communication with a water source and is mounted with a sensor. The sensor includes a transmitter to transmit an ultrasonic signal and a receiver to receive an ultrasonic signal. The sensor may measure a Time of Flight (ToF) of the signal to obtain a ToF measurement. A microcontroller is electrically connected to the sensor and may receive and process the ToF measurement using an algorithm to determine a bowl status. The toilet also includes at least one water valve that is disposed between the bowl and the water source, and that is electrically connected to the microcontroller for instructing the at least one water valve to move from a first position to a second position for a duration of time, wherein the duration of time corresponds to the bowl status.

Systems to monitor a toilet bowl and to determine a bowl status

A flush valve assembly comprising a flush valve comprising a flush valve body extending from a flush valve inlet to a flush valve outlet; a flush valve seal having a top face and a bottom face; and a flush actuator comprising a rigid linkage; wherein the bottom face of the flush valve seal is configured to enclose the flush valve inlet; and wherein the rigid linkage is coupled to the top face of the flush valve seal and is configured to lift the flush valve seal to open the flush valve and to lower the flush valve seal to close the flush valve. A rigid linkage is configured to lift a flush valve seal and to lower a flush valve seal at a controlled rate.

Flush valve assembly

An automated urinal comprising a basin configured to receive a fluid; a wall; a trapway in fluid communication with the basin; a flush valve; and an automatic flush system; wherein, the automatic flush system comprises one or more sensors and a controller; the one or more sensors are selected from a group consisting of a first sensor coupled to an exterior of the trapway, a second sensor coupled to a rear surface of the wall, and a third sensor coupled to an underside of the basin; the controller is in electrical communication with the one or more sensors and is in electrical communication with the flush valve; and wherein the automatic flush system is configured to detect introduction of fluid into the basin and to send a flush signal to the flush valve to initiate a flush.

Automated urinal

A faucet spray head magnetic docking system includes a socket that couples to an end of the spout, and a bonnet that couples to the spray head and that engages with the socket. The socket includes a shell configured to be arranged in the mouth of the spout, and integrated with one or more magnetic elements. The magnetic elements may be inserted into corresponding holes of the socket shell. Alternatively, the magnetic elements may be incorporated directly into the shell. The bonnet includes a threaded portion for coupling to corresponding threads of a connector at the spray head, and includes one or more corresponding magnets configured to magnetically attract to the magnetic elements of the socket.

Faucet spray head magnetic docking systems

Systems to automate adjustment of water volume release to a toilet bowl to correspond to bowl contents, toilets including the system and related methods

A shower head includes a fluid inlet configured to connect to a fluid source, a spray face having a plurality of fluid outlets, a fluid flow path from the fluid source to the spray face, and a diverter positioned in the fluid flow path which is configured to adjust the flow of fluid through the fluid flow path, the diverter being switchable between different spray configurations associated with different spray modes of the shower head. A user interface for selecting the shower spray mode is positioned on a peripheral portion of the spray face, the user interface including one or more touch-sensitive devices configured to receive one or more touch inputs from a user during operation of the shower head and configured to cause the diverter to switch from one spray configuration to another spray configuration in response to receiving the one or more touch inputs from the user.

Touch controlled shower head

A beverage dispensing apparatus which includes a tank, a liquid inlet and a fluid dispensing system which includes a dispensing fluid conduit having a helical portion at least substantially vertically oriented within the interior volume of the tank. The beverage dispensing apparatus also includes a fluid circulating system that includes at least one fluid circulation conduit having an inlet portion positioned proximate the bottom portion of the tank and at least one outlet. A fluid cycling device is also included in the beverage dispensing apparatus and is configured to move fluid from the bottom portion of the tank to the fluid circulation conduit. The at least one outlet is configured to produce a fluid flow tangential to the orientation of the dispensing fluid conduit configuration. Evaporator coils extend around a perimeter of the tank's exterior sidewall surface and are configured to chill the fluid within the tank.

Enhanced heat transfer to water

Growing community of inventors

Clinton, NJ, United States of America

Verne Myers