Techniques and mechanisms for enabling a flow of fluid through microchannels of a fluid conduit, which is thermally coupled to cool integrated circuitry. In an embodiment, sidewall structures of the fluid conduit extend from a base structure to form at least in part microchannels, which extend along the base structure. The sidewall structures accommodate a flow of a coolant fluid through the fluid conduit, where the flow in turn facilitates conduction of heat, which has been transferred to the fluid conduit from the integrated circuitry. The sidewall structures comprise pores, which extend through a corresponding sidewall structure between two microchannel regions. In another embodiment, a sidewall structure provides a gradient of average porosity along one or more dimensions.

A water heater system includes a tank defining a fluid chamber and having a top end and a bottom end and a thermal mixing valve. The thermal mixing valve is arranged exterior of the tank and at the top end thereof. The thermal mixing valve includes a first fluid inlet that draws water from the bottom end of the tank, a second fluid inlet that is in fluid communication with the fluid chamber, and a fluid outlet exterior to the tank.

A plumbing component includes a valve provided within a portion of the plumbing component and configured to control the flow of water through the plumbing component. The valve includes a body and at least one waterway within the body. An electric heater extends through at least a portion of the body of the valve and is configured to heat at least a portion of the body to an elevated temperature sufficient to kill organisms within the waterway.

A shower head having a stem; a spray head coupled to the stem; a mixing valve located within the stem or the spray head, the mixing valve having a first valve member assembly for controlling a first fluid flow to a mixing chamber and a second valve member assembly for controlling a second fluid flow to the mixing chamber. Each valve member assembly includes a spool, a first valve member on the spool that engages with a first valve seat in a closed position and a second valve member on the spool that engages with a second, separate, valve seat in the closed position. An electrically powered first motor is located within the stem or the spray head. The first motor is coupled to the first valve member assembly to control movement of the first valve member assembly to control the flow of the first fluid to the mixing chamber.

A water delivery device that includes a body having a cold water inlet, a hot water inlet, and an outlet; a mixing valve in the body, and a touchscreen user interface on a surface of the body. The mixing valve includes a housing having a mixing chamber that is fluidly connected to the outlet, a first flow control valve moveably disposed in the housing to control a cold water flow from the cold water inlet to the mixing chamber, and a second flow control valve moveably disposed in the housing to control a hot water flow from the hot water inlet to the mixing chamber. The touchscreen user interface allows a user to control a temperature and/or a flow rate of water from the outlet by controlling the first and second flow control valves.

A fluid flow control system having a fluid inlet configured to be operatively coupled to a fluid source, a fluid outlet in fluid communication with the fluid inlet such that fluid may exit the system therethrough, a proximity sensor for detecting the position of an object within a region adjacent the sensor, and a flow control device configured to regulate fluid flow between the inlet and outlet in response to object detection by the sensor, wherein the flow control device varies the fluid flow proportional to the detected distance of an object from the sensor. A water flow control system for use in a shower environment is also provided, as well as a shower control system, methods for controlling water flow based on sensing of the presence and location of an object, and methods for reducing water consumption.

A shower head that includes a movable handset, a mixing valve, and an electric heater. The movable handset includes a stem configured to detachably engage a shower head dock, and a spray head coupled to the stem and configured to discharge water. The mixing valve is disposed within the movable handset and includes a housing including a waterway located therein for water to flow through, a first flow control valve located within the housing and configured to control the flow of hot water to the spray head, and a second flow control valve located within the housing and configured to control the flow of cold water to the spray head. The electric heater is disposed within the movable handset and configured to heat at least part of the housing to an elevated temperature sufficient to kill organisms within the waterway.

A temperature control apparatus is provided, which is capable of, even when it is necessary to perform control by means of valves in a plurality of channels, promptly controlling a temperature of an area to be temperature-controlled promptly to a desired temperature. Passage and blockage of a heating medium passing through a first supply channel to a mixing channel, a temperature of the heating medium being controlled by a first temperature regulating unit at a predetermined temperature, and passage and blockage of a heating medium passing through a second supply channel to the mixing channel, a temperature of the heating medium being controlled by a second temperature regulating unit, are controlled by a valve unit. The valve unit includes a first spool valve and a second spool valve, which are coupled through a heat insulating layer.

A water heater system includes a water heater and a thermal mixing valve. The water heater includes a tank and a cap that each define interior volumes. The interior volume of the tank includes a heating element is the location where fluid is heated, whereas the cap includes a volume within which the thermal mixing valve may be disposed. The thermal mixing valve pulls cool and warm water from the volume of the tank, and then discharges a mixed stream of fluid at a user desired temperature via an outlet.

The present disclosure provides thermostats and thermostat housings with a support frame that is linearly displaceable relative to an aperture of the thermostat, for modifying operational characteristics of the opening and closing of the aperture by a valve actuated via a thermal-actuator with an extendible pin configured to be pressed against the support frame for moving the valve to open and close the aperture.