Patent ID: 12259062

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 toFIG.1, a schematic illustration of a plumbing system1(e.g., shower system, etc.) is shown, according to an exemplary embodiment. The plumbing system1is shown to include a single control valve cartridge100(e.g., fluid control valve, shower mixing valve, etc.), a shower waterway10, and a valve body20. The single control valve cartridge100is shown to be coupled to the plumbing system1by way of retaining nuts102, and is configured to selectively fluidly couple a cold water feed104and a hot water feed106to the plumbing system1from a cold water source and a hot water source, respectively. The single control valve cartridge100may 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 cartridge100allows at least a portion of each of the cold water feed104and hot water feed106to flow through the single control valve cartridge100, and enter the remaining portions of the plumbing system1. In a closed position, the single control valve cartridge100prevents the cold water feed104and hot water feed106from entering the remaining portions of the plumbing system1. However, once the single control valve cartridge100is returned to an open position from a closed position, at least a portion of each of the cold water feed104and hot water feed106will again be able to flow through the single control valve cartridge100, and enter the remaining portions of the plumbing system1.

The shower waterway10is shown to include a water inlet110, a first water outlet120, a second water outlet122, a first lateral waterway130, and a second lateral waterway140fluidly coupled therebetween. The shower waterway10may 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 waterway10is configured to fluidly receive and contain a water flow2that flows from the cold water feed104and/or hot water feed106, through the single control valve cartridge100, to the water inlet110, then to at least one of the first water outlet120or second water outlet122. According to an exemplary embodiment, the water flow2is 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 cartridge100is shown to couple to the water inlet110, such that the water flow2flows from the single control valve cartridge100to the water inlet110. A first end131of the first lateral waterway130fluidly couples a lower end111of the water inlet110. A second end132of the first lateral waterway130is in fluid communication with and couples a connector150at a first side151of the connector150. The connector150fluidly couples a first end141of the second lateral waterway140at a lower end154of the first side151of the connector150, and fluidly couples an opening152at a top side153of the connector150. A second end142of the second lateral waterway140fluidly couples to the water outlet120. In this way, the water flow2may flow from the water inlet110, through the first lateral waterway130, connector150, and second lateral waterway140, before exiting the shower waterway10through the water outlet120.

The plumbing system1is shown to include a valve body20that is at least partially received within the opening152at the top side153of the connector150. It should be noted that only the valve body20is depicted in the FIGURES for ease of reference, but it should be appreciated that the valve body20forms 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 body20may control a flow of water through the system (e.g., flow rate, etc.). As shown inFIG.1, the valve body20may have a generally cylindrical shape and is shown to be oriented in a vertical orientation. However, it should be appreciated that the valve body20may have other shapes besides cylindrical, and may be positioned in any other suitable orientation. The outer perimeter of the valve body20may couple to and abut an inner perimeter of the opening152of the connector150. The valve body20further includes a flange210which extends radially outward from the outer perimeter of the valve body20. A lower surface of the flange210couples to and abuts the top side153of the opening152of the connector150, such that the flange210is configured to help position the valve body20within the connector150.

Still referring toFIG.1, the valve body20has an internal cavity200which has a generally cylindrical shape. The internal cavity200of the valve body20is shown to include a chamber230at an upper end and a reservoir240at a lower end, which are separated by a piston220. The piston220may include one or more seals (e.g., O-ring seals, etc.) for fluidly separating the chamber230from the reservoir240, but also allowing for slidable movement of the piston220within the internal cavity200. The chamber230may be filled with a compressible gas3(e.g., air, etc.). The reservoir240is in fluid communication with the shower waterway10, such that water may flow from the shower waterway10to the reservoir240to engage the piston220. The piston220is configured to slidably translate within the internal cavity200along a direction indicated generally by arrow “A” in response to a water pressure fluctuation in the shower waterway10, the details of which are discussed in the paragraphs that follow.

The valve body20further includes a vent250and a vent screw260disposed at a top side of the valve body20. The vent250is configured to selectively fluidly couple the chamber230to the external environment. In other words, the vent250may allow the compressible gas3within the chamber230of the valve body20to selectively exit the chamber230to adjust the pressure within the chamber230. The vent screw260is coupled to the vent250and is configured to allow a user to selectively adjust (e.g., loosen or tighten, etc.) the vent screw260as a means of controlling the amount of compressible gas3within the chamber230. In effect, the amount of compressible gas3within the chamber230directly relates to the positioning of the piston220within the valve body20. For example, if a user adjusts the vent screw260to allow the vent250to open, compressible gas3may be permitted to exit the chamber230, resulting in less compressible gas3within the chamber230. When a force is applied to the lower side of the piston220(e.g., due to a water pressure fluctuation within the system), the piston220may translate upward within the internal cavity200, causing the volume of the reservoir240to increase and the volume of the chamber230to decrease. The amount of compressible gas3within the chamber230at least partially dictates how far upward the piston220is able to translate (i.e., how much the volume of the chamber230may be reduced and how much the volume of the reservoir240may increase). In this way, if a user selectively adjusts the vent screw260, the user may adjust the positioning and responsiveness of the piston220, depending on a particular application.

In operation, the plumbing system1may experience a sudden disruption of flow (e.g., a fast open or close at the water outlet120), which may create a water pressure fluctuation (generally illustrated as a sinusoidal line segment along the flow path2). 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 body20having an internal cavity200with a piston220, a chamber230having compressible gas3, and a reservoir240) 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 piston220may act as a shock absorber, and as the water flow2is disrupted (e.g., due to operation of the fluid control valve defined by valve body20), the water flow2may be diverted up into the reservoir240such that the piston220may absorb the pressure fluctuations of the water flow2by translating upwards to compress the compressible gas3within the chamber230. This shock absorption by the piston220may result in a reduction or elimination of the noise and/or vibrations caused by the flow disruption. In addition, the vent screw260allows for potential reset or adjustment of the piston220.

Referring now toFIG.2, a schematic illustration of the plumbing system1at a first time, when the piston220is in a first position is shown. When the single control valve cartridge100is closed, the water flow2will be prevented from flowing through the single control valve cartridge100to the remainder of the plumbing system1. Instead, the water flow2that is already in the plumbing system1will flow from the water inlet110, through the first lateral waterway130towards the connector150. The water will flow through the connector150, through the second lateral waterway140, and finally exit the plumbing system1through the water outlet120. During this time, the piston220may remain in a first, resting position, where the downward force exerted on the piston from the compressible gas3within the chamber230is equal to the upward force exerted on the piston220. In other words, both the chamber230and the reservoir240may be at atmospheric pressure, such that atmospheric pressure is exerted on both sides of the piston220, resulting in the piston220remaining in a first, resting position.

Referring now toFIG.3, the single control valve cartridge100may be in an open position, such that water flows from the cold water feed104and the hot water feed106, mixes within the single control valve cartridge100, and enters the remainder of the plumbing system1. As at least a portion of the water flow2is diverted into the reservoir240of the valve body20, the pressure spike from the water flow2against the piston220may cause the piston220to compress the compressible gas3within the chamber230of the valve body20. In other words, the downward force exerted on the piston220by the compressible gas3may be less than the upward force on the piston220by the water flow2, causing the piston220to translate upward, thus reducing the volume of the chamber230and increasing the volume of the reservoir240as the reservoir240accumulates at least a portion of the water flow2. As the piston220is translated upward, the piston may be in a second, compressed position.

Referring now toFIG.4, immediately after the single control valve cartridge100is switched to a closed position (i.e., such that water is not flowing through the single control valve cartridge100and into the remainder of the plumbing system1, the resulting pressure fluctuation of the water flow2will likely cause the piston220to overshoot the first, resting position (i.e., such that the piston220will move to a third position, where the volume of the reservoir240is momentarily smaller than the volume of the reservoir240in a first position, while the volume of the chamber230is momentarily greater than the volume of the chamber230in a first position). Once the pressure fluctuation is effectively absorbed (i.e., the water flow2was at least partially diverted into the reservoir240, forcing the piston220to translate upwards to a second, compressed position and downwards to the third position), the piston220may again return to a first position. In other words, immediately after the single control valve cartridge100is closed, the water flow2may enter the reservoir240and force the piston220upward, but once the compressible gas3within the chamber230reacts to force the piston220downward to the third position, the water flow2is able to displace, and the upward force on the piston220from the water flow2may cause the piston to translate back towards a first, resting position, thus again decreasing the volume within the reservoir240and increasing the volume within the chamber230. In addition, the vent screw260is configured to be tightened or loosened by a user, to allow a user to selectively adjust the position of the piston220within the valve body20. For example, the user may adjust the vent screw260(which in turn adjusts the opening of the vent250between the chamber230and outside environment) to reset the resting position of the piston to a third position. As shown inFIG.4, when the vent screw260is adjusted to have the piston220translate to a position lower than an initial position (i.e., translating to a position where the volume of the reservoir240is less than the volume of the reservoir240before the vent screw260was adjusted), the downward force exerted on the piston220by the compressible gas3may exceed the upward force on the piston220by the water flow2within the reservoir240, causing the piston220to have a new resting position, where the volume within the chamber230has increased and the volume within the reservoir240has 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 piston220as a damper. However, it should be appreciated that the valve damper assembly may operate in substantially the same manner. For example, the piston220may 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 piston220or a diaphragm. The bladder may be located in the valve body20where the chamber230having compressible gas3and the piston220are 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.