Apparatus and control system for multi-gestural control of water delivery devices

• US 10,323,393 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2017
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kohler MIRA Limited (Kohler Company)
• Original Assignee: Kohler MIRA Limited (Kohler Company)
• Inventors: Thompson, Christopher Ian, Zhu, Xiangzhen
• Primary Examiner(s): Jellet, Matthew W
• Application Number:
  US15/703,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20180002904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E03B 7/075 Arrangement of devices for control of pressure or flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/055 Electrical control devices, e.g. with push buttons, control panels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/02 with all movable sealing faces moving as one unit
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 19/006 Specially adapted for faucets
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/02 electric F16K31/004 takes precedence; magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/08 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1393 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87579 Faucet attachment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8766 With selectively operated flow control means

Abstract

A water delivery device includes a body, a user interface, a mixing valve, a first capacitive sensor pad, and a second capacitive sensor pad. The body includes a spout. The user interface is provided on the spout. The mixing valve is contained within the body and is configured to be in fluid communication with a hot water source and a cold water source. The first capacitive sensor pad is provided below the user interface. The second capacitive sensor pad is provided below the user interface laterally adjacent to the first capacitive sensor pad, and is physically separated from the first capacitive sensor pad.

Claims

1. A water delivery device comprising:

a body including a spout;

a user interface provided on the spout;

a mixing valve contained within the body and configured to be in fluid communication with a hot water source and a cold water source;

a first capacitive sensor pad provided below the user interface;

a second capacitive sensor pad provided below the user interface laterally adjacent to the first capacitive sensor pad, wherein the second capacitive sensor pad is physically separated from the first capacitive sensor pad; and

a controller disposed within the body and configured, in response to a signal from the first or second capacitive sensor pads, to transmit a corresponding signal to the mixing valve to change a temperature of a flow of water flowing from the mixing valve;

wherein each of the first and second capacitive sensor pads is configured to be independently activated by a user to transmit the signal to the controller to change the temperature of the flow of water flowing from the mixing valve.

2. The water delivery device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to maintain a substantially constant flow rate of the flow of water flowing from the mixing valve during an adjustment of the temperature of the flow of water.

3. The water delivery device of claim 1, wherein when the first capacitive sensor pad is activated, the controller is configured to initiate a delay period during which the second capacitive sensor pad is not capable of being activated so as to prevent inadvertent activation of the second capacitive sensor pad, and wherein when the second capacitive sensor pad is activated, the controller is configured to initiate a delay period during which the first capacitive sensor pad is not capable of being activated so as to prevent inadvertent activation of the first capacitive sensor pad.

4. The water delivery device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to incrementally adjust the temperature of the flow of water flowing from the mixing valve in response to momentary or repeated activation of the first or the second capacitive sensor pads while maintaining a substantially constant flow rate of the flow of water.

5. The water delivery device of claim 1, wherein the mixing valve is an electronically controlled micro-mixing valve.

6. The water delivery device of claim 1, further comprising one or more light sources positioned below the user interface, wherein the one or more light sources are configured to provide a visual indication on the user interface of a temperature of a flow of water flowing from the water delivery device.

7. The water delivery device of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a panel member, a graphics layer, and a substantially transparent outer layer, and wherein the substantially transparent outer layer is overmolded onto the panel member with the graphics layer disposed therebetween.

8. The water delivery device of claim 7, wherein each of the first and the second capacitive sensor pads is adhered to a rear inner surface of the panel member.

9. A faucet assembly comprising:

a body including a spout;

a user interface provided on the spout;

a mixing valve disposed in the body and configured to be in fluid communication with a hot water source and a cold water source;

a first capacitive sensor pad provided below the user interface on the spout and configured to increase a temperature of a flow of water flowing from the mixing valve;

a second capacitive sensor pad provided below the user interface on the spout laterally adjacent to the first capacitive sensor pad and configured to decrease the temperature of the flow of water flowing from the mixing valve, wherein the second capacitive sensor pad is physically separated from the first capacitive sensor pad; and

a controller operatively coupled to the first capacitive sensor pad, the second capacitive sensor pad, and the mixing valve;

wherein the controller is configured to receive a signal from the first or the second capacitive sensor pad and to transmit a corresponding signal to the mixing valve to control a flow of water from at least one of the hot water source or the cold water source so as to change the temperature of the flow of water flowing from the mixing valve; and

wherein each of the first and second capacitive sensor pads is configured to be independently activated by a user to transmit the signal to the controller to change the temperature of the flow of water flowing from the mixing valve.

10. The water delivery device of claim 9, Wherein the controller is configured to maintain a substantially constant flow rate of the flow of water flowing from the mixing valve during an adjustment of the temperature of the flow of water.

11. The water delivery device of claim 9, wherein when the first capacitive sensor pad is activated, the controller is configured to initiate a delay period during which the second capacitive sensor pad is not capable of being activated so as to prevent inadvertent activation of the second capacitive sensor pad, and wherein when the second capacitive sensor pad is activated, the controller is configured to initiate a delay period during which the first capacitive sensor pad is not capable of being activated so as to prevent inadvertent activation of the first capacitive sensor pad.

12. The water delivery device of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to incrementally adjust the temperature of the flow of water flowing from the mixing valve in response to momentary or repeated activation of the first or the second capacitive sensor pads while maintaining a substantially constant flow rate of the flow of water.

13. The water delivery device of claim 9, wherein the mixing valve is an electronically controlled micro-mixing valve.

14. The water delivery device of claim 9, further comprising one or more light sources positioned below the user interface, wherein the one or more light sources are configured to provide a visual indication on the user interface of a temperature of a flow of water flowing from the water delivery device.

15. The water delivery device of claim 9, wherein the user interface includes a panel member, a graphics layer, and a substantially transparent outer layer, and wherein the substantially transparent outer layer is overmolded onto the panel member with the graphics layer disposed therebetween.

16. The water delivery device of claim 15, wherein each of the first and the second capacitive sensor pads is adhered to a rear inner surface of the panel member.

17. A water delivery device comprising:

a spout;

a mixing valve configured to be in fluid communication with a hot water source and a cold water source;

a first capacitive sensor pad provided in the spout and configured to increase a temperature of a flow of water flowing from the mixing valve;

a second capacitive sensor pad provided in the spout laterally adjacent to the first capacitive sensor pad, wherein the second capacitive sensor pad is physically separated from the first capacitive sensor pad and is configured to decrease the temperature of the flow of water; and

a controller operatively coupled to the mixing valve, the first capacitive sensor pad, and the second capacitive sensor pad;

wherein each of the first and second capacitive sensor pads is configured to be independently activated by a user to control a flow of water from at least one of the hot water source and the cold water source to adjust a temperature of the flow of water.