Automatic faucets

• US 10,508,423 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Original Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Inventors: Herbert, Kay, Mo, Xiaoxiong, Krull, Jeff, Daher, Jean F., Chen, Qiaohong, Vish, Ronald J., Guler, Fatih, Wang, Xu, Thompson, Stanley O, Carpenter, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fristoe, Jr., John K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Paquette, Ian
• Application Number:
  US13/999,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20140246099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,147 Days
• Field of Search: 137 1511, 13731512, 13731513, 13731514, 13731515, 137801
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 13/00 Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus if the apparatus aspects are predominant, see the relevant subclasses for such apparatus, e.g. H02K7/18; Power stations or aggregates incorporating only machines or engines of positive-displacement type F03C; hydraulic engineering aspects E02B; combinations with wind energy converters F03D9/008
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/602 with energy recovery turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/50 Hydropower in dwellings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/1842 Ambient condition change responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8376 Combined

Abstract

An automatic faucet includes a housing forming partially an internal barrel and a faucet head and being constructed to include at least one water inlet conduit extending into said barrel and a water outlet for delivering water from a spout. The automatic faucet also includes a faucet head having a removable faucet crown and the spout, wherein the faucet crown is removably mounted to the faucet head. The automatic faucet also includes a valve module, a sensor module, a battery module, a turbine module, and a control module. The valve module includes a valve controlled by an electromagnetic actuator for controlling the water flow from the spout. The sensor module is constructed to provide sensor data influenced by a user. The control module is constructed to control opening and closing of the valve by providing signals to the electromagnetic actuator. The control module is also constructed to receive sensor data from the sensor module and execute a sensing algorithm. The control module is also constructed to execute a power management algorithm for managing electrical power generated by the water turbine and provided to and from the battery.

Claims

1. An automatic faucet, comprising:

a housing forming partially an internal barrel and a faucet head and being constructed to include at least one water inlet conduit extending into said barrel and a water outlet for delivering water from a spout;

a faucet crown removably mounted on said faucet head;

a valve module including an electromagnetic actuator for controlling the water flow from the water outlet;

a sensor module constructed to provide sensor data influenced by a user; and

a control module located on a circuit board inside the housing of the faucet and constructed to receive said sensor data from said sensor module;

said circuit board being mounted inside said faucet head and extending below said faucet crown and being removable after removing said faucet crown from said faucet head;

wherein said internal barrel and said faucet head are constructed and arranged to releasably enclose and retain said valve module, said sensor module and said control module;

wherein said control module includes a controller constructed to receive said sensor data from said sensor module and execute a self-calibration and initialization algorithm and execute a sensing algorithm, wherein said self-calibration and initialization algorithm determines a noise signal level and a signal threshold for different power supply sources.

2. The automatic faucet of claim 1, wherein said valve module includes a valve housing comprising a mixing valve module cooperatively arranged with a mixing handle for controlling said mixing valve module.

3. The automatic faucet of claim 1, wherein said sensor module includes a capacitive sensor.

4. The automatic faucet of claim 1, wherein said sensing algorithm executed by said controller tracks said noise signal levels and dynamically adapts said signal thresholds for the power supply source providing power, said sensing algorithm tracking signal trend to determine presence of the user.

5. The automatic faucet of claim 4 including a turbine module constructed to generate electrical power, said turbine module being located inside said faucet head and being removable after removing said faucet crown from said faucet head.

6. The automatic faucet of claim 1 including an indicator for indicating status to a user.

7. The automatic faucet of claim 6 wherein said indicator includes an LED diode.

8. The automatic faucet of claim 1 including a turbine module located inside said housing and constructed to generate electrical power.

9. The automatic faucet of claim 8, wherein said turbine module is located inside said faucet head and being removable for servicing.

10. The automatic faucet of claim 8, wherein said control module is constructed to execute said self-calibration and initialization algorithm by normalizing raw data to set a dynamic range, verifying that a noise level is in a predefined range, and determining water effect.

11. The automatic faucet of claim 8, wherein said turbine module and said control module are designed to measure a water flow rate of said faucet.

12. The automatic faucet of claim 8 wherein said turbine module and said control module are designed to detect a fault condition of said faucet.

13. The automatic faucet of claim 8 wherein said control module is constructed to execute a power management algorithm.

14. An automatic faucet comprising:

a housing forming partially an internal barrel and a faucet head and being constructed to include at least one water inlet conduit extending into said barrel and a water outlet for delivering water from a spout;

a valve module located inside said housing and including a valve controlled by an electromagnetic actuator for controlling the water flow from said spout;

a turbine module located inside said housing and constructed to generate electrical power;

a battery module including a rechargeable battery constructed to provide electrical power;

a sensor module constructed to provide sensor data influenced by a user; and

a control module constructed to execute a power management algorithm for managing electrical power used by said automatic faucet including said electromagnetic actuator, said power management algorithm periodically checking generated AC power and battery power for optimal operation and charging said battery, said control module constructed to control opening and closing of said valve by providing signals to said electromagnetic actuator, said control module being constructed to receive sensor data from said sensor module and execute a sensing algorithm to determine presence of a user and provide signals to said actuator.

15. The automatic faucet of claim 14, wherein said sensor module includes a capacitive sensor.

16. The automatic faucet of claim 14, wherein said control module is constructed to receive said sensor data from said sensor module and execute a self-calibration and initialization algorithm, said self-calibration and initialization algorithm determines a noise signal level and a signal threshold for different power supply sources.

17. The automatic faucet of claim 14, wherein said control module executes said sensing algorithm also tracking noise signal levels and dynamically adapting signal thresholds for the power supply source providing power, said sensing algorithm also tracking signal trend utilized to determine presence of the user.

18. The automatic faucet of claim 14 including an indicator for indicating status to a user.

19. The automatic faucet of claim 18 wherein said indicator includes an LED diode.