Patent Publication Number: US-2022235881-A1

Title: Shower system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/534,087, filed Aug. 7, 2019, which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/716,740, filed Aug. 9, 2018, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates generally to the field of shower plumbing systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an integral valve damper assembly for noise reduction in a shower plumbing system. 
     Water pressure fluctuations generated by opening or closing a valve in a residential shower system can be transmitted through water in the system to various components of the system. The pipes and associated plumbing fixtures can amplify these pressure fluctuations, creating bothersome background noise. In some high flow rate systems, such as washing machines and dishwashers, pressure fluctuations can be severe enough to damage the pipes or cause them to collapse (commonly referred to as “water hammer”). 
     In addition, the fluctuations may cause damage if the pipes are allowed to vibrate against other materials in the wall, such as steel studs. There are various add-on solutions for addressing the severe water hammer issues in high flow rate systems. These add-on solutions, however, tend to be too large and over-engineered for use in low flow rate systems, such as residential shower systems. In addition, the utilization of such solutions may be limited by the need to position them near an access panel or open location in order to gain access to them for servicing. 
     SUMMARY 
     At least one embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a shower system. The shower system includes a shower waterway and a fluid control valve. The shower waterway is configured to be coupled to a shower device. The fluid control valve is coupled to the shower waterway and comprises a valve body and a piston. The valve body includes a chamber and a reservoir. The piston is slidably coupled to the valve body and fluidly separates the chamber from the reservoir. The chamber includes a compressible gas. The piston is configured to slidably translate within the valve body to compress the compressible gas in response to a water pressure fluctuation in the shower waterway. 
     Another embodiment relates to a shower system. The shower system includes a fluid control valve configured to be coupled to a shower waterway. The fluid control valve includes a valve body and a piston. The valve body includes a chamber and a reservoir. The piston is slidably coupled to the valve body and fluidly separates the chamber from the reservoir. The chamber includes a compressible gas. The piston is configured to slidably translate within the valve body to compress the compressible gas in response to a water pressure fluctuation in the shower system. 
     Another embodiment relates to a fluid control valve for a shower system. The fluid control valve includes a valve body and a piston. The valve body includes a chamber and a reservoir. The piston is slidably coupled to the valve body and fluidly separates the chamber from the reservoir. The chamber includes a compressible gas. The piston is configured to slidably translate within the valve body to compress the compressible gas in response to a water pressure fluctuation in the shower system. 
     Another embodiment relates to a valve damper assembly that is part of a valve body for a fluid control valve of a shower system. The valve body includes an internal cavity, which is separated into a reservoir on a lower end and a chamber containing a compressible gas on an upper end by a damper, such as a slidable piston. The valve damper assembly is configured such that when the valve is opened/closed and a pressure fluctuation is generated, at least a portion of the water flow may be diverted into the reservoir, causing the damper to effectively absorb the pressure fluctuation caused by the valve actuation. In this way, the volume of the chamber may be decreased due to the pressure acting on the piston exceeding the opposite pressure exerted on the piston from the compressible gas contained within the chamber. The valve body may also include an adjustable vent for adjusting the amount of compressible gas in the chamber, so as to adjust the relative position of the piston. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of a valve damper assembly according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic illustration of the valve damper assembly of  FIG. 1  at a first time, when the piston is at a first position. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic illustration of the valve damper assembly of  FIG. 1  at a second time, when the piston is at a second position. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic illustration of the valve damper assembly of  FIG. 1  at a third time, when the piston is at a third position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Prior to turning to the figures, which illustrate the one or more exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details or methodology set forth in the description or illustrated in the figures. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     Generally speaking, “water hammer arrestors” are commonly used in high flow rate plumbing systems, such as washing machines and dishwashers (e.g., flow rates greater than  10  gpm, etc.), to help reduce water hammer (i.e., the noise and vibration that may result from a water valve closing suddenly, causing pressure fluctuations to be transmitted through the plumbing system). In such plumbing systems, when a valve is opened/closed, the instantaneous velocity of water within the system may cause a pressure spike that can create shock waves that transmit through the system, causing a thumping noise or a pipe to vibrate. In an effort to absorb this shock wave, a water hammer arrestor may be installed upstream of the valve (i.e., before the valve in the system), such that as the valve closes suddenly, the pressure spike may be diverted to the arrestor to absorb the pressure fluctuation, rather than transmitting through the plumbing system. However, water hammer arrestors are often large in size to sufficiently absorb the pressure fluctuations that are typically associated with these high flow rate systems. Furthermore, the bulky size of these devices may result in very limited applications for where the water hammer arrestor may be installed within the system. In addition, these water hammer arrestors are typically engineered to handle significant forces that may result from the pressure spikes normally associated with only high flow rate systems. Thus, there is a need for a smaller scale device that can reduce or eliminate the noise associated with pressure fluctuations experienced in low flow rate systems, such as a residential shower system. 
     Referring generally to the FIGURES, disclosed herein is an integral valve damper assembly for use in a residential shower system. The disclosed valve damper assembly is designed to be integrated into a valve body of a fluid control valve that controls water flow through the shower system, so as to provide for a more compact design and to allow for easy access/maintenance, as compared to conventional water hammer arrestors. The valve damper assembly has a structural configuration that is advantageously designed to address pressure fluctuations that are typically experienced in low flow rate systems, such as a shower system, which operate at flow rates of about 2-5 gpm. In addition, the valve damper assembly can, advantageously, be selectively adjusted to tailor the assembly to a particular application, depending on the degree of pressure fluctuations experienced by a particular system. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a schematic illustration of a plumbing system  1  (e.g., shower system, etc.) is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. The plumbing system  1  is shown to include a single control valve cartridge  100  (e.g., fluid control valve, shower mixing valve, etc.), a shower waterway  10 , and a valve body  20 . The single control valve cartridge  100  is shown to be coupled to the plumbing system  1  by way of retaining nuts  102 , and is configured to selectively fluidly couple a cold water feed  104  and a hot water feed  106  to the plumbing system  1  from a cold water source and a hot water source, respectively. The single control valve cartridge  100  may be configured to receive an input to selectively change between an open position, a closed position, or any position therebetween (i.e., partially open or restricted). In an open position, the single control valve cartridge  100  allows at least a portion of each of the cold water feed  104  and hot water feed  106  to flow through the single control valve cartridge  100 , and enter the remaining portions of the plumbing system  1 . In a closed position, the single control valve cartridge  100  prevents the cold water feed  104  and hot water feed  106  from entering the remaining portions of the plumbing system  1 . However, once the single control valve cartridge  100  is returned to an open position from a closed position, at least a portion of each of the cold water feed  104  and hot water feed  106  will again be able to flow through the single control valve cartridge  100 , and enter the remaining portions of the plumbing system  1 . 
     The shower waterway  10  is shown to include a water inlet  110 , a first water outlet  120 , a second water outlet  122 , a first lateral waterway  130 , and a second lateral waterway  140  fluidly coupled therebetween. The shower waterway  10  may be generally cylindrical pipes which may extend from a water source to, for example, a shower device, such as a showerhead or handheld sprayer. The shower waterway  10  is configured to fluidly receive and contain a water flow  2  that flows from the cold water feed  104  and/or hot water feed  106 , through the single control valve cartridge  100 , to the water inlet  110 , then to at least one of the first water outlet  120  or second water outlet  122 . According to an exemplary embodiment, the water flow  2  is has a flow rate in the range of about 2 gpm to about 5 gpm, as is typical for a residential shower system. The single control valve cartridge  100  is shown to couple to the water inlet  110 , such that the water flow  2  flows from the single control valve cartridge  100  to the water inlet  110 . A first end  131  of the first lateral waterway  130  fluidly couples a lower end  111  of the water inlet  110 . A second end  132  of the first lateral waterway  130  is in fluid communication with and couples a connector  150  at a first side  151  of the connector  150 . The connector  150  fluidly couples a first end  141  of the second lateral waterway  140  at a lower end  154  of the first side  151  of the connector  150 , and fluidly couples an opening  152  at a top side  153  of the connector  150 . A second end  142  of the second lateral waterway  140  fluidly couples to the water outlet  120 . In this way, the water flow  2  may flow from the water inlet  110 , through the first lateral waterway  130 , connector  150 , and second lateral waterway  140 , before exiting the shower waterway  10  through the water outlet  120 . 
     The plumbing system  1  is shown to include a valve body  20  that is at least partially received within the opening  152  at the top side  153  of the connector  150 . It should be noted that only the valve body  20  is depicted in the FIGURES for ease of reference, but it should be appreciated that the valve body  20  forms part of a conventional fluid control valve for a shower that includes additional internal components that a conventional fluid control valve for a shower would include (e.g., seals, internal valving, etc.). The fluid control valve including the valve body  20  may control a flow of water through the system (e.g., flow rate, etc.). As shown in  FIG. 1 , the valve body  20  may have a generally cylindrical shape and is shown to be oriented in a vertical orientation. However, it should be appreciated that the valve body  20  may have other shapes besides cylindrical, and may be positioned in any other suitable orientation. The outer perimeter of the valve body  20  may couple to and abut an inner perimeter of the opening  152  of the connector  150 . The valve body  20  further includes a flange  210  which extends radially outward from the outer perimeter of the valve body  20 . A lower surface of the flange  210  couples to and abuts the top side  153  of the opening  152  of the connector  150 , such that the flange  210  is configured to help position the valve body  20  within the connector  150 . 
     Still referring to  FIG. 1 , the valve body  20  has an internal cavity  200  which has a generally cylindrical shape. The internal cavity  200  of the valve body  20  is shown to include a chamber  230  at an upper end and a reservoir  240  at a lower end, which are separated by a piston  220 . The piston  220  may include one or more seals (e.g., O-ring seals, etc.) for fluidly separating the chamber  230  from the reservoir  240 , but also allowing for slidable movement of the piston  220  within the internal cavity  200 . The chamber  230  may be filled with a compressible gas  3  (e.g., air, etc.). The reservoir  240  is in fluid communication with the shower waterway  10 , such that water may flow from the shower waterway  10  to the reservoir  240  to engage the piston  220 . The piston  220  is configured to slidably translate within the internal cavity  200  along a direction indicated generally by arrow “A” in response to a water pressure fluctuation in the shower waterway  10 , the details of which are discussed in the paragraphs that follow. 
     The valve body  20  further includes a vent  250  and a vent screw  260  disposed at a top side of the valve body  20 . The vent  250  is configured to selectively fluidly couple the chamber  230  to the external environment. In other words, the vent  250  may allow the compressible gas  3  within the chamber  230  of the valve body  20  to selectively exit the chamber  230  to adjust the pressure within the chamber  230 . The vent screw  260  is coupled to the vent  250  and is configured to allow a user to selectively adjust (e.g., loosen or tighten, etc.) the vent screw  260  as a means of controlling the amount of compressible gas  3  within the chamber  230 . In effect, the amount of compressible gas  3  within the chamber  230  directly relates to the positioning of the piston  220  within the valve body  20 . For example, if a user adjusts the vent screw  260  to allow the vent  250  to open, compressible gas  3  may be permitted to exit the chamber  230 , resulting in less compressible gas  3  within the chamber  230 . When a force is applied to the lower side of the piston  220  (e.g., due to a water pressure fluctuation within the system), the piston  220  may translate upward within the internal cavity  200 , causing the volume of the reservoir  240  to increase and the volume of the chamber  230  to decrease. The amount of compressible gas  3  within the chamber  230  at least partially dictates how far upward the piston  220  is able to translate (i.e., how much the volume of the chamber  230  may be reduced and how much the volume of the reservoir  240  may increase). In this way, if a user selectively adjusts the vent screw  260 , the user may adjust the positioning and responsiveness of the piston  220 , depending on a particular application. 
     In operation, the plumbing system  1  may experience a sudden disruption of flow (e.g., a fast open or close at the water outlet  120 ), which may create a water pressure fluctuation (generally illustrated as a sinusoidal line segment along the flow path  2 ). The pressure fluctuations will be carried through the valve and associated plumbing, and may generate noise and potential system damage. A valve damper (e.g., the valve body  20  having an internal cavity  200  with a piston  220 , a chamber  230  having compressible gas  3 , and a reservoir  240 ) as part of the fluid control valve for the system is located near the source of the pressure disruption at the valve, and may effectively dampen the pressure fluctuations at that location. In other words, the piston  220  may act as a shock absorber, and as the water flow  2  is disrupted (e.g., due to operation of the fluid control valve defined by valve body  20 ), the water flow  2  may be diverted up into the reservoir  240  such that the piston  220  may absorb the pressure fluctuations of the water flow  2  by translating upwards to compress the compressible gas  3  within the chamber  230 . This shock absorption by the piston  220  may result in a reduction or elimination of the noise and/or vibrations caused by the flow disruption. In addition, the vent screw  260  allows for potential reset or adjustment of the piston  220 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a schematic illustration of the plumbing system  1  at a first time, when the piston  220  is in a first position is shown. When the single control valve cartridge  100  is closed, the water flow  2  will be prevented from flowing through the single control valve cartridge  100  to the remainder of the plumbing system  1 . Instead, the water flow  2  that is already in the plumbing system  1  will flow from the water inlet  110 , through the first lateral waterway  130  towards the connector  150 . The water will flow through the connector  150 , through the second lateral waterway  140 , and finally exit the plumbing system  1  through the water outlet  120 . During this time, the piston  220  may remain in a first, resting position, where the downward force exerted on the piston from the compressible gas  3  within the chamber  230  is equal to the upward force exerted on the piston  220 . In other words, both the chamber  230  and the reservoir  240  may be at atmospheric pressure, such that atmospheric pressure is exerted on both sides of the piston  220 , resulting in the piston  220  remaining in a first, resting position. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the single control valve cartridge  100  may be in an open position, such that water flows from the cold water feed  104  and the hot water feed  106 , mixes within the single control valve cartridge  100 , and enters the remainder of the plumbing system  1 . As at least a portion of the water flow  2  is diverted into the reservoir  240  of the valve body  20 , the pressure spike from the water flow  2  against the piston  220  may cause the piston  220  to compress the compressible gas  3  within the chamber  230  of the valve body  20 . In other words, the downward force exerted on the piston  220  by the compressible gas  3  may be less than the upward force on the piston  220  by the water flow  2 , causing the piston  220  to translate upward, thus reducing the volume of the chamber  230  and increasing the volume of the reservoir  240  as the reservoir  240  accumulates at least a portion of the water flow  2 . As the piston  220  is translated upward, the piston may be in a second, compressed position. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , immediately after the single control valve cartridge  100  is switched to a closed position (i.e., such that water is not flowing through the single control valve cartridge  100  and into the remainder of the plumbing system  1 , the resulting pressure fluctuation of the water flow  2  will likely cause the piston  220  to overshoot the first, resting position (i.e., such that the piston  220  will move to a third position, where the volume of the reservoir  240  is momentarily smaller than the volume of the reservoir  240  in a first position, while the volume of the chamber  230  is momentarily greater than the volume of the chamber  230  in a first position). Once the pressure fluctuation is effectively absorbed (i.e., the water flow  2  was at least partially diverted into the reservoir  240 , forcing the piston  220  to translate upwards to a second, compressed position and downwards to the third position), the piston  220  may again return to a first position. In other words, immediately after the single control valve cartridge  100  is closed, the water flow  2  may enter the reservoir  240  and force the piston  220  upward, but once the compressible gas  3  within the chamber  230  reacts to force the piston  220  downward to the third position, the water flow  2  is able to displace, and the upward force on the piston  220  from the water flow  2  may cause the piston to translate back towards a first, resting position, thus again decreasing the volume within the reservoir  240  and increasing the volume within the chamber  230 . In addition, the vent screw  260  is configured to be tightened or loosened by a user, to allow a user to selectively adjust the position of the piston  220  within the valve body  20 . For example, the user may adjust the vent screw  260  (which in turn adjusts the opening of the vent  250  between the chamber  230  and outside environment) to reset the resting position of the piston to a third position. As shown in  FIG. 4 , when the vent screw  260  is adjusted to have the piston  220  translate to a position lower than an initial position (i.e., translating to a position where the volume of the reservoir  240  is less than the volume of the reservoir  240  before the vent screw  260  was adjusted), the downward force exerted on the piston  220  by the compressible gas  3  may exceed the upward force on the piston  220  by the water flow  2  within the reservoir  240 , causing the piston  220  to have a new resting position, where the volume within the chamber  230  has increased and the volume within the reservoir  240  has decreased. 
     The valve damper assembly of the present disclosure is intended to reduce noise in low flow systems, such as shower plumbing systems. The valve damper assembly of the present disclosure may beneficially be more compact than other potential solutions, and can be integrated directly into the shower valve body. The integration of the valve damper assembly into the valve body beneficially may allow for easy access to and maintenance of the valve damper assembly. 
     According to other exemplary embodiments, a bladder or diaphragm may be utilized instead of a piston  220  as a damper. However, it should be appreciated that the valve damper assembly may operate in substantially the same manner. For example, the piston  220  may be substituted with an elastic diaphragm. The diaphragm may be configured to elastically deform to absorb a pressure fluctuation within the system. Alternatively, in some embodiments, a bladder may be used instead of a piston  220  or a diaphragm. The bladder may be located in the valve body  20  where the chamber  230  having compressible gas  3  and the piston  220  are located. The bladder may be an elastically deformable member which may contain a liquid, gas, or other compressible means. The bladder may be configured to deform or compress to absorb a pressure fluctuation within the system. 
     As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially”, and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should be understood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description of certain features described and claimed without restricting the scope of these features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the disclosure as recited in the appended claims. 
     It should be noted that the term “exemplary” and variations thereof, as used herein to describe various embodiments, are intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such terms are not intended to connote that such embodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples). 
     The term “coupled,” as used herein, means the joining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Such joining may be stationary (e.g., permanent or fixed) or moveable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members coupled to each other, with the two members coupled with a separate intervening member and any additional intermediate members coupled with one another, or with the two members coupled together with an intervening member that is integrally formed as a single unitary body with one of the two members. Such members may be coupled mechanically, electrically, and/or fluidly. 
     The term “or,” as used herein, is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so that when used to connect a list of elements, the term “or” means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. Conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is understood to convey that an element may be either X, Y, Z; X and Y; X and Z; Y and Z; or X, Y, and Z (i.e., any combination of X, Y, and Z). Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z to each be present, unless otherwise indicated. 
     References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,” “above,” “below,” etc.) are merely used to describe the orientation of various elements in the FIGURES. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure. 
     It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of the valve damper assembly as shown in the various exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described herein. For example, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. Any element disclosed in one embodiment may be incorporated or utilized with any other embodiment disclosed herein. Although one example of an element that can be incorporated or utilized in another embodiment has been described above, it should be appreciated that other elements of the various embodiments may be incorporated or utilized with any of the other embodiments disclosed herein. 
     Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, any element disclosed in one embodiment may be incorporated or utilized with any other embodiment disclosed herein. Also, for example, the order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. Any means-plus-function clause is intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design, operating configuration, and arrangement of the preferred and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims.