Electronic shower valve
An electronic shower valve including a coaxially aligned motor and gear assembly received within a valve body and configured to move a flow control element. Illustratively, a display is supported by the valve body and is in electrical communication with a controller. A manual override may engage with the flow control element for manual operation thereof.
1 . An electronic shower valve comprising:
a valve body; and
a valve cartridge received within the valve body, the valve cartridge including:
an outer housing including a cylindrical sidewall defining a single internal chamber extending along a longitudinal axis,
a hot water inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber,
a cold water inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber,
a flow control element supported within the internal chamber of the outer housing for rotation about the longitudinal axis to control water flow through the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet;
a valve shaft operably coupled to the flow control element and coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis;
a motor assembly positioned radially within the cylindrical sidewall of the outer housing and received within the internal chamber of the outer housing and coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis; and
a gear assembly operably coupling the motor assembly and the flow control element, the gear assembly configured to rotate the flow control element, positioned radially within the cylindrical sidewall of the outer housing and received within the internal chamber of the outer housing, such that the gear assembly operably couples with the valve shaft within the internal chamber of the outer housing.
2 . The electronic shower valve of claim 1 , wherein the gear assembly is at least partially supported within the outer housing and is coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis.
3 . The electronic shower valve of claim 2 , wherein the gear assembly comprises a strain wave gearing assembly.
4 . The electronic shower valve of claim 3 , wherein the strain wave gearing assembly includes an outer circular spline supported by the outer housing, a flex spline cooperating with the outer circular spline, and a wave generator supported for rotation about the longitudinal axis, wherein the flex spline is positioned intermediate the wave generator and the outer circular spline.
5 . The electronic shower valve of claim 1 , wherein the motor assembly includes a fixed stator coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis, and a rotor configured for rotation relative to the stator.
6 . The electronic shower valve of claim 5 , wherein the rotor includes a body, circumferentially spaced magnets supported by the body, a bearing intermediate the body and the gear assembly, and an elliptical cam supported by the body and cooperating with the gear assembly.
7 . The electronic shower valve of claim 6 , wherein the stator includes a center hub and electrical windings supported by the center hub.
8 . The electronic shower valve of claim 7 , wherein the hub is formed of a polymer overmolded around the electrical windings.
9 . The electronic shower valve of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, and an angular sensor configured to detect an angular position of the flow control element and provide a signal indicative thereof to the controller.
10 . The electronic shower valve of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, and a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of water provided to an outlet and provide a signal indicative thereof to the controller.
11 . The electronic shower valve of claim 10 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises a thermistor, the flow control element includes a center opening, and the thermistor extends through the center opening.
12 . The electronic shower valve of claim 1 , further comprising a rechargeable power supply detachably coupled to the valve body and configured to power the motor assembly.
13 . The electronic shower valve of claim 1 , further comprising a valve shaft including a longitudinal passageway, and a cable electrically coupled to the motor assembly and extending through the longitudinal passageway.
14 . A shower valve cartridge comprising:
an outer housing including an internal chamber defining a longitudinal axis;
a hot water inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber;
a cold water inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber;
a flow control element supported for rotation about the longitudinal axis to control water flow through the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet;
a motor assembly received within the internal chamber of the outer housing and coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis;
a strain wave gearing assembly operably coupling the motor assembly and the flow control element, the strain wave gearing assembly received within the internal chamber of the outer housing and configured to rotate the flow control element; and
wherein the strain wave gearing assembly includes an outer circular spline supported by the outer housing, a flex spline concentrically received within and cooperating with the outer circular spline, and a wave generator including a rotor having an elliptical cam supported for rotation about the longitudinal axis, wherein the flex spline is positioned intermediate the elliptical cam of the wave generator and the outer circular spline, the flex spline configured to be moved relative to the outer circular spline by rotation of the elliptical cam of the wave generator for rotating the flow control element about the longitudinal axis.
15 . The shower valve cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the motor assembly includes:
a fixed stator coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis and including electrical windings; and
the rotor is configured for rotation relative to the stator, wherein the rotor includes a body, circumferentially spaced magnets supported by the body, a bearing intermediate the body and the gear assembly, and the elliptical cam supported by the body and cooperating with the gear assembly.
16 . The shower valve cartridge of claim 15 , wherein the stator includes a center hub supporting the electrical windings, the center hub formed of a polymer overmolded around the electrical windings.
17 . The shower valve cartridge of claim 14 , further comprising a controller, and an angular sensor configured to detect an angular position of the flow control element and provide a signal indicative thereof to the controller.
18 . The shower valve cartridge of claim 14 , further comprising a controller, and a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of water provided to an outlet and provide a signal indicative thereof to the controller.
19 . The shower valve cartridge of claim 18 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises a thermistor, the flow control element includes a center opening, and the thermistor extends through the center opening.
20 . The shower valve cartridge of claim 14 , wherein the outer housing is received within a valve body.
21 . The shower valve cartridge of claim 20 , further comprising a rechargeable power supply detachably coupled to the valve body and configured to power the motor assembly.
22 . The shower valve cartridge of claim 14 , further comprising a valve shaft including a longitudinal passageway, and a cable electrically coupled to the motor assembly and extending through the longitudinal passageway.
23 . An electronic shower valve comprising:
a valve body; and
a valve cartridge received within the valve body, the valve cartridge including:
an outer housing including a cylindrical sidewall defining a single internal chamber extending along a longitudinal axis,
a hot water inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber,
a cold water inlet in fluid communication with the internal chamber,
a flow control element supported within the internal chamber of the outer housing for rotation about the longitudinal axis to control water flow through the hot water inlet and the cold water inlet,
a valve shaft operably coupled to the flow control element and coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis,
a motor assembly positioned radially within the cylindrical sidewall of the outer housing and received within the internal chamber of the outer housing and coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis,
wherein the motor assembly includes a fixed stator coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis, and a rotor configured for rotation relative to the stator,
a gear assembly operably coupling the motor assembly and the flow control element, the gear assembly configured to rotate the flow control element, positioned radially within the cylindrical sidewall of the outer housing and received within the internal chamber of the outer housing, such that the gear assembly operably couples with the valve shaft within the internal chamber of the outer housing, and
wherein the gear assembly is at least partially supported within the outer housing and is coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis;
a controller;
an angular sensor configured to detect an angular position of the flow control element and provide a signal indicative thereof to the controller; and
a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of water provided to an outlet and provide a signal indicative thereof to the controller.
24 . The electronic shower valve of claim 23 , wherein the gear assembly comprises a strain wave gearing assembly.
25 . The electronic shower valve of claim 24 , wherein the strain wave gearing assembly includes an outer circular spline supported by the outer housing, a flex spline cooperating with the outer circular spline, and a wave generator supported for rotation about the longitudinal axis, wherein the flex spline is positioned intermediate the wave generator and the outer circular spline.
26 . The electronic shower valve of claim 23 , wherein the stator includes a center hub and electrical windings supported by the center hub.
27 . The electronic shower valve of claim 26 , wherein the hub is formed of a polymer overmolded around the electrical windings.
28 . The electronic shower valve of claim 23 , wherein the temperature sensor comprises a thermistor, the flow control element includes a center opening, and the thermistor extends through the center opening.
29 . The electronic shower valve of claim 23 , further comprising a rechargeable power supply detachably coupled to the valve body and configured to power the motor assembly.
30 . The electronic shower valve of claim 23 , further comprising a valve shaft including a longitudinal passageway, and a cable electrically coupled to the motor assembly and extending through the longitudinal passageway.
31 . The electronic shower valve of claim 1 , wherein:
the cylindrical sidewall of the outer housing extends between opposing ends; and
the motor assembly and the gear assembly are longitudinally positioned between the opposing ends of the cylindrical sidewall.
32 . The shower valve cartridge of claim 14 , wherein:
the outer housing includes a sidewall extending between opposing ends and defining the internal chamber; and
the motor assembly and the strain wave gearing assembly are longitudinally positioned between the opposing ends of the sidewall.
33 . The electronic shower valve of claim 23 , wherein:
the cylindrical sidewall of the outer housing extends between opposing ends; and
the motor assembly and the gear assembly are longitudinally positioned between the opposing ends of the cylindrical sidewall.