FAUCET INCLUDING A CAPACITANCE BASED SENSOR

• US 20120055557A1
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Burke, David M., Belz, Jeffrey J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,187,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/1
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/04 Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2001/026 with flow restricting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0644 One-way valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes

Abstract

An electronic faucet is provided that includes a spout having a passageway configured to conduct fluid flow through the spout, an electrically operable valve coupled to the passageway, and a capacitive sensor coupled to the faucet. A controller may dynamically change on/off thresholds and monitor a stability signal to determine when to turn off the electrically operable valve.

Claims

1. An electronic faucet comprising:

a spout having a passageway configured to deliver fluid through the spout;

an electrically operable valve positioned in the passageway;

a capacitive sensor coupled to the faucet; and

a controller in electrical communication with the capacitive sensor and defining a threshold, the capacitive sensor being configured to send a signal to the controller, the controller being configured to open the valve when a measure of the signal reaches the threshold and to adjust the threshold in response to at least one environmental factor.

2. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the controller defines a first threshold and a second threshold greater than the first threshold, and the controller is configured to open the valve when the measure of the signal exceeds the first threshold.

3. The faucet of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to maintain the valve in an open position when the measure of the signal exceeds the second threshold.

4. The faucet of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to maintain the valve in an open position when the measure of the signal is between the first threshold and the second threshold and when a noise level of the signal exceeds a threshold noise level.

5. The faucet of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to adjust at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold in response to the at least one environmental factor, the adjusted second threshold being based on the adjusted first threshold.

6. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the threshold upon at least one of the valve being closed and the signal being stable.

7. The faucet of claim 6, wherein the controller determines the signal is stable when a detected variation of the signal is within a predetermined range.

8. The faucet of claim 1, further including a manually operable valve positioned in the passageway and a handle coupled to the manually operable valve and configured to control the manually operable valve, wherein the manually operable valve is configured to control at least one of the temperature and flow rate of the fluid delivered through the spout.

9. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental factor is detected based on the measure of the signal.

10. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts the threshold based on the measure of the signal and an offset value.

11. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the capacitive sensor includes an electrode coupled to the spout.

12. An electronic faucet comprising:

a spout having a passageway configured to deliver fluid through the spout;

an electrically operable valve positioned in the passageway;

a capacitive sensor coupled to the faucet and defining a detection area; and

a controller in electrical communication with the capacitive sensor, wherein the controller is configured to maintain the valve in an open position when an object is moving within the detection area.

13. The faucet of claim 12, wherein the controller defines a threshold, the capacitive sensor is configured to send a signal to the controller, and the controller opens the valve when a measure of the signal reaches the threshold.

14. The faucet of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the threshold in response to at least one environmental factor.

15. The faucet of claim 13, wherein the controller defines a first threshold and a second threshold greater than the first threshold, and the controller is configured to open the valve when the measure of the signal exceeds the first threshold.

16. The faucet of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to maintain the valve in the open position when the measure of the signal exceeds the second threshold.

17. The faucet of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to close the valve when substantially no movement of the object is detected within the detection area and the measure of the signal is less than the second threshold.

18. The faucet of claim 12, wherein the capacitive sensor is configured to provide a signal to the controller, and the controller is configured to detect a movement of the object within the detection area based on a variation of the signal being outside a predetermined range.

19. The faucet of claim 18, wherein the predetermined range is between about a zero percent variation and about a 20 percent variation.

20. A method of controlling an electronic faucet, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a faucet including a spout having a passageway configured to deliver fluid through the spout, a valve positioned in the passageway, and a capacitive sensor coupled to the faucet;

detecting a signal provided with the capacitive sensor;

comparing a measure of the signal with a threshold;

opening the valve when the measure of the signal reaches the threshold; and

adjusting the threshold in response to at least one environmental factor.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the adjusting step is based on the measure of the signal and an offset value.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the valve is opened when the measure of the signal is greater than the threshold.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the comparing step includes comparing the measure of the signal with a first threshold and a second threshold, and wherein the opening step includes opening the valve when the measure of the signal exceeds the first threshold.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold, and further including the step of maintaining the valve in an open position when the measure of the signal exceeds the second threshold.

25. The method of claim 24, further including the step of maintaining the valve in an open position when the measure of the signal exceeds the first threshold and a noise level of the signal exceeds a threshold noise level.

26. The method of claim 20, further including the step of detecting the at least one environmental factor based on the measure of the signal.

27. A method of controlling an electronic faucet, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a faucet including a spout having a passageway configured to deliver fluid through the spout, a valve positioned in the passageway, and a sensor coupled to the faucet and defining a detection area;

positioning the valve in an open position;

detecting movement of an object in the detection area based on a signal provided with the sensor; and

maintaining the valve in the open position when the movement of the object is detected in the detection area.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the valve is positioned in the open position upon a measure of the signal provided with the sensor reaching a threshold value.

29. The method of claim 28, further including the step of closing the valve when substantially no movement of the object is detected in the detection area and the measure of the signal is less than a second threshold value, the second threshold value being greater than the threshold value.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the movement of the object is detected based on a variation of the signal provided with the sensor being outside a predetermined range.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the predetermined range is between about a zero percent variation and about a 20 percent variation.