A plumbing fixture includes a touchscreen user interface on a surface of a plumbing fixture. The touchscreen user interface is configured to allow a user to control at least one of the temperature or flow rate of a fluid exiting the plumbing fixture by controlling a mixing valve located within a bod
A plumbing fixture includes a touchscreen user interface on a surface of a plumbing fixture. The touchscreen user interface is configured to allow a user to control at least one of the temperature or flow rate of a fluid exiting the plumbing fixture by controlling a mixing valve located within a body of the plumbing fixture.
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1. A faucet comprising: a spout;a mixing valve located in the spout and comprising a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of a first fluid from a first inlet and a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of a second fluid from a second inlet, wherein each of the first and sec
1. A faucet comprising: a spout;a mixing valve located in the spout and comprising a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of a first fluid from a first inlet and a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of a second fluid from a second inlet, wherein each of the first and second flow control valves includes a valve member assembly to control the fluid flow through the respective flow control valve, the valve member assembly and the inlet of each of the first and second flow control valves adapted and arranged such that, when in use, fluid flowing through the first flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the first flow control valve and fluid flowing through the second flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the second flow control valve;an actuator located in the faucet and configured to control operation of the mixing valve; anda touchscreen user interface on a surface of the faucet, the touchscreen user interface configured to allow a user to control at least one of a temperature or a flow rate of a fluid exiting the spout by controlling the actuator. 2. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the touchscreen user interface is located on the spout of the faucet. 3. The faucet of claim 1, further comprising an escutcheon, wherein the touchscreen user interface is located on the escutcheon of the faucet. 4. The faucet of claim 1, further comprising a base that is configured to be secured to a support surface, wherein the faucet extends upwardly from the base, and wherein the surface is located on the base. 5. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the touchscreen user interface comprises a display configured to display at least one of the temperature or the flow rate of the fluid exiting the spout. 6. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the touchscreen user interface includes an on/off switch. 7. The faucet of claim 1, further comprising a controller within the spout and coupled to the mixing valve for controlling the actuator, wherein the touchscreen user interface is configured to control the controller. 8. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the mixing valve comprises an electric heating element configured to heat a body of the mixing valve to an elevated temperature sufficient to kill organisms within the mixing valve. 9. The faucet of claim 8, wherein the touchscreen user interface includes a control for controlling the electric heating element to perform a disinfecting cycle for the mixing valve. 10. A faucet comprising: a spout;a mixing valve located in the spout, wherein the mixing valve comprises: a mixing chamber;a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of a first fluid from a first inlet into the mixing chamber; anda second flow control valve, separate from the first flow control valve, for controlling the flow of a second fluid from a second inlet into the mixing chamber;wherein at least one of the first flow control valve or the second flow control valve includes at least two separate outlets into the mixing chamber;an actuator located in the faucet and configured to control operation of the mixing valve; anda touchscreen user interface on a surface of the faucet, the touchscreen user interface configured to allow a user to control at least one of a temperature or a flow rate of a fluid exiting the spout by controlling the actuator. 11. The faucet of claim 10, wherein each of the first and second flow control valves includes a valve member assembly to control the fluid flow through the respective flow control valve, the valve member assembly and the inlet of each of the first and second flow control valves adapted and arranged such that, when in use, fluid flowing through the first flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the first flow control valve and fluid flowing through the second flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the second flow control valve. 12. The faucet of claim 10, wherein the mixing valve further comprises an electric heating element configured to heat a body of the mixing valve to an elevated temperature sufficient to kill organisms within the mixing valve. 13. The faucet of claim 12, wherein the touchscreen user interface includes a control for controlling the electric heating element to perform a disinfecting cycle for the mixing valve. 14. The faucet of claim 10, wherein the touchscreen user interface further comprises a display configured to display at least one of the temperature or the flow rate of the fluid exiting the spout. 15. The faucet of claim 14, further comprising a controller within the spout and coupled to the mixing valve for controlling the actuator, wherein the touchscreen user interface is configured to control the controller. 16. The faucet of claim 10, wherein both the first flow control valve and second flow control valve each includes at least two separate outlets into the mixing chamber. 17. The faucet of claim 16, wherein each flow control valve includes a valve member assembly comprising: a first valve member adapted to engage with a first valve seat associated with a first of the two valve outlets in a closed position of the flow control valve; anda second valve member adapted to engage with a second, separate, valve seat associated with a second of the two valve outlets in the closed position of the flow control valve. 18. The faucet of claim 17, wherein the actuator comprises: a first linear actuator for moving the valve member assembly of the first flow control valve; anda second linear actuator for moving the valve member assembly of the second flow control valve. 19. The faucet of claim 18, wherein the first and second linear actuators are stepper motors, and each stepper motor is coupled to the mixing valve and is located within the spout of the faucet. 20. A faucet mountable to a support surface, the faucet comprising: a base configured to be secured to the support surface;a spout extending upwardly from the base and having an outlet;a mixing valve located in the spout and comprising a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of a first fluid from a first inlet and a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of a second fluid from a second inlet, each of the first and second flow control valves including a valve member assembly to control the fluid flow through the respective flow control valve, the valve member assembly and the inlet of each of the first and second flow control valves adapted and arranged such that, when in use, fluid flowing through the first flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the first flow control valve and fluid flowing through the second flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the second flow control valve;an actuator located in the faucet and configured to control operation of the mixing valve; anda user interface coupled to an outer surface of the faucet, the user interface comprising a touch sensitive panel configured to allow a user to control at least one of a temperature or a flow rate of a fluid exiting the outlet by controlling the mixing valve through the actuator. 21. The faucet of claim 20, wherein the outer surface is located on the spout of the faucet. 22. The faucet of claim 20, wherein the outer surface is located on an escutcheon of the faucet. 23. The faucet of claim 20, wherein the touch sensitive panel comprises: a first control for controlling the temperature of the fluid exiting the outlet;a second control for controlling the flow rate of the fluid exiting the outlet; andan on/off switch. 24. The faucet of claim 20, wherein the outer surface is an upwardly facing surface of the base. 25. The faucet of claim 24 wherein the user interface further comprises a display configured to display at least one of the temperature or the flow rate of the fluid exiting the faucet. 26. The faucet of claim 20, wherein the mixing valve comprises an electric heating element configured to heat a body of the mixing valve to an elevated temperature sufficient to kill organisms within the mixing valve, and wherein the user interface includes a control for controlling the electric heating element to perform a disinfecting cycle for the mixing valve. 27. The faucet of claim 26, wherein the touch sensitive panel is configured to control both the temperature and the flow rate of the fluid exiting the outlet of the spout. 28. The faucet of claim 20, further comprising a controller in communication with the user interface for controlling the mixing valve through the actuator. 29. The faucet of claim 28, wherein the controller and the actuator are both located within the faucet and proximate the mixing valve. 30. The faucet of claim 29, wherein the controller and the actuator are both coupled directly to the mixing valve. 31. A faucet mountable to a support surface, the faucet comprising: a base configured to be secured to the support surface;a spout extending upwardly from the base and having an outlet;a mixing valve located in the spout;an actuator located in the faucet and configured to control operation of the mixing valve; anda user interface coupled to an outer surface of the faucet, the user interface comprising: a touch sensitive panel configured to allow a user to control at least one of a temperature or a flow rate of a fluid exiting the outlet by controlling the mixing valve through the actuator; anda display configured to display at least one of the temperature or the flow rate of the fluid exiting the faucetwherein the outer surface is an upwardly facing surface of the base, wherein the touch sensitive panel is located on a first side of the upwardly facing surface and the display is located on a second side of the upwardly facing surface, and wherein the spout extends upwardly from the base at a location that is between the first side and the second side. 32. The faucet of claim 31, wherein the mixing valve comprises a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of a first fluid from a first inlet and a second flow control valve for controlling the flow of a second fluid from a second inlet, each of the first and second flow control valves including a valve member assembly to control the fluid flow through the respective flow control valve, the valve member assembly and the inlet of each of the first and second flow control valves adapted and arranged such that, when in use, fluid flowing through the first flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the first flow control valve and fluid flowing through the second flow control valve exerts substantially no net force on the valve member assembly of the second flow control valve. 33. The faucet of claim 31, wherein the mixing valve further comprises a mixing chamber, a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of a first fluid from a first inlet into the mixing chamber, and a second flow control valve, separate from the first flow control valve, for controlling the flow of a second fluid from a second inlet into the mixing chamber, wherein both the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve includes at least two separate outlets into the mixing chamber. 34. The faucet of claim 33, wherein each flow control valve includes a valve member assembly including a first valve member adapted to engage with a first valve seat associated with a first of the two valve outlets in a closed position of the flow control valve and a second valve member adapted to engage with a second, separate, valve seat associated with a second of the two valve outlets in the closed position of the flow control valve. 35. The faucet of claim 31, wherein the mixing valve further comprises an electric heating element configured to heat a body of the mixing valve to an elevated temperature sufficient to kill organisms within the mixing valve. 36. The faucet of claim 35, wherein the touchscreen user interface includes a control for controlling the electric heating element to perform a disinfecting cycle for the mixing valve. 37. A faucet mountable to a support surface, the faucet comprising: a base configured to be secured to the support surface;a spout extending upwardly from the base and having an outlet;a mixing valve located in the spout and comprising: a mixing chamber;a first flow control valve for controlling the flow of a first fluid from a first inlet into the mixing chamber; anda second flow control valve, separate from the first flow control valve, for controlling the flow of a second fluid from a second inlet into the mixing chamber;wherein both the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve includes at least two separate outlets into the mixing chamber, wherein each flow control valve includes a valve member assembly including a first valve member adapted to engage with a first valve seat associated with a first of the two valve outlets in a closed position of the flow control valve and a second valve member adapted to engage with a second, separate, valve seat associated with a second of the two valve outlets in the closed position of the flow control valve;an actuator located in the faucet and configured to control operation of the mixing valve, wherein the actuator includes a first stepper motor for moving the valve member assembly of the first flow control valve and a second stepper motor for moving the valve member assembly of the second flow control valve; anda user interface coupled to an outer surface of the faucet, the user interface comprising a touch sensitive panel configured to allow a user to control at least one of a temperature or a flow rate of a fluid exiting the outlet by controlling the mixing valve through the actuator. 38. The faucet of claim 37, wherein the mixing valve further comprises an electric heating element configured to heat a body of the mixing valve to an elevated temperature sufficient to kill organisms within the mixing valve. 39. The faucet of claim 38, wherein the touchscreen user interface includes a control for controlling the electric heating element to perform a disinfecting cycle for the mixing valve.
Rodenbeck, Robert W.; Koottungal, Paul D.; Spangler, Anthony G.; Veros, Michael J., Electronic user interface for electronic mixing of water for residential faucets.
Houghton, Bradley James; Jeromson, Peter James; Wilkinson, Jamie Jon Aorangi; Barnes, Peter Stephen; Rutten, Giscard Hubertus Theodoor, Valve system for servo control of fluid flows.
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