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Faucet including capacitive sensors for hands free fluid flow control

  • US 10,301,801 B2
  • Filed: 07/10/2017
  • Issued: 05/28/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A faucet comprising:

  • a spout;

    a passageway that conducts water flow through the spout;

    an electrically operable valve disposed within the passageway and having an opened position, in which water is free to flow through the passageway, and a closed position, in which the passageway is blocked;

    a first capacitive sensor having a first detection field that generates a first output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the first detection field;

    a second capacitive sensor having a second detection field that generates a second output signal upon detection of a user'"'"'s hands in the second detection field;

    an overlapping detection field defined by an overlap of the first detection field and the second detection field;

    an activation field defined by the first detection field less the overlapping detection field;

    an inhibit field defined by the second detection field including the overlapping detection field; and

    a controller coupled to the first and second capacitive sensors and the electrically operable valve, the controller being programmed to actuate the electrically operable valve in response to detecting the user'"'"'s hands in the activation field, and the controller being programmed to inhibit operation of the electrically operable valve in response to detecting the user'"'"'s hands in the inhibit field.

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