INTEGRATED SOLENOID VALVE FOR AN ELECTRONIC FAUCET

• US 20140261780A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Faucet Company (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Masco Corporation Of Indiana (Masco Corporation)
• Inventors: Thomas, Kurt J., Brown, Derek A., Sawaski, Joel D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,458,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/468
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0404 Constructional or functional features of the spout
• 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: E03C 2001/0418 having temperature indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 19/006 Specially adapted for faucets
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/0675 Electromagnet aspects, e.g. electric supply therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/082 using a electromagnet and a permanent magnet
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/402 acting on a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7737 Thermal responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a solenoid valve assembly for an electronic faucet. A solenoid coil of the valve assembly may be mounted to a printed circuit board for controlling the solenoid coil. An auxiliary port may be used to control one or more additional dispensing devices.

Claims

1. An electronic faucet comprising:

a spout;

a fluid supply conduit supported by the spout;

a valve assembly including a solenoid valve positioned to control fluid flow through the fluid supply conduit, the solenoid valve including a solenoid coil and a moveable valve member operably coupled to the moveable valve member; and

a controller operative to control the solenoid valve, the controller including a circuit board coupled to the valve assembly and a processor mounted to the circuit board to control the solenoid valve, the solenoid coil being mounted to the circuit board.

2. The faucet of claim 1, further including a sensor coupled to the faucet and operative to provide a signal to the controller, the processor of the controller being operative to at least one of open and close the solenoid valve based on the signal provided by the sensor.

3. The faucet of claim 2, wherein the sensor is operative to at least one of detect an object in a detection zone near the spout and detect the object contacting the spout, and the sensor transmits the signal representative of the detection of the object to the controller.

4. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly further includes an outer housing, and the circuit board and the solenoid valve are positioned in the outer housing.

5. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the solenoid coil includes a bobbin and coil wire wound around the bobbin, and the bobbin is mounted to the circuit board.

6. The faucet of claim 4, wherein the bobbin includes conductive pins coupled to the circuit board, and the coil wire is connected to the conductive pins.

7. The faucet of claim 1, wherein an opening extends through the solenoid coil, and the circuit board is positioned parallel to the opening through the solenoid coil.

8. The faucet of claim 7, wherein the valve housing includes a portion housing the moveable valve member, and the opening of the solenoid coil receives the portion of the valve housing.

9. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the solenoid valve further includes a pole piece coupled to the solenoid coil, and the pole piece extends along three sides of the solenoid coil.

10. An electrically operable valve assembly for an electronic faucet comprising:

a valve housing including an interior region for receiving a fluid;

a solenoid valve;

a temperature sensor positioned outside the interior region;

a heat transfer device extending between the temperature sensor and the interior region to transfer heat from fluid in the interior region to the temperature sensor, and

a controller in communication with the temperature sensor and operative to control the solenoid valve.

11. The electrically operable valve of claim 10, wherein the controller includes an electronic circuit board coupled to the valve housing, and the temperature sensor is mounted to the electronic circuit board.

12. The electrically operable valve of claim 11, wherein the electronic circuit board and the temperature sensor are positioned outside of the valve housing.

13. The electrically operable valve of claim 10, wherein the valve housing includes an outer wall defining the interior region, and the heat transfer device extends into the interior region through an opening formed in the outer wall.

14. The electrically operable valve of claim 13, further including an o-ring seal positioned in the opening between the heat transfer device and the outer wall of the valve housing.

15. The electrically operable valve of claim 10, wherein the heat transfer device includes a rivet, the rivet includes a hollow shaft portion and a head portion, and the hollow shaft portion is configured to receive fluid from the interior region of the valve housing.

16. The electrically operable valve of claim 15, wherein the heat transfer device further includes a thermally conductive pad positioned between the rivet and the temperature sensor for transferring heat from the rivet to the temperature sensor.

17. The electrically operable valve of claim 10, wherein the controller is operative to control the solenoid valve based on output from the temperature sensor.

18. The electrically operable valve of claim 10, wherein the temperature sensor includes a thermistor.

19. An electronic faucet comprising:

a spout;

a fluid supply conduit supported by the spout;

a valve assembly including an electrically operable valve positioned to regulate fluid flow through the fluid supply conduit; and

a controller coupled to the valve assembly and including a processor operative to control the electrically operable valve to control fluid flow through the fluid supply conduit, the controller including a port in communication with the processor, the port being releasably coupled to electronics of a secondary dispensing device, the controller being operative to at least one of control and power the electronics of the secondary dispensing device via the port.

20. The faucet of claim 19, wherein the processor is operative to control an electrically operable valve of the secondary dispensing device via the port to control fluid flow through the secondary dispensing device.

21. The faucet of claim 20, wherein the processor is operative to receive input signals from a proximity sensor of the secondary dispensing device via the port and to output electrical control signals to the secondary dispensing device via the port to control the electrically operable valve of the secondary dispensing device based on the input signals.

22. The faucet of claim 19, further including an electrical cable routed from the port to the electronics of the secondary dispensing device to route control signals from the controller of the electronic faucet to the electronics of the secondary dispensing device, the electrical cable including a connector that is releasably coupled to the port.

23. The faucet of claim 19, wherein the controller is operably coupled to a power source for powering the electronic faucet, and the controller powers the electronics of the secondary dispensing device from the power source via the port.

24. The faucet of claim 19, wherein the secondary dispensing device includes at least one of a soap dispenser and a beverage dispenser.

25. The faucet of claim 19, wherein the secondary dispensing device includes an electronic faucet.

26. The faucet of claim 19, wherein the controller includes a printed circuit board coupled to the valve assembly, and the processor and the port are mounted to the printed circuit board.

27. The faucet of claim 26, wherein the valve assembly includes an outer housing having an opening, the printed circuit board and the electrically operable valve are positioned in the outer housing, and the port is accessible through the opening of the outer housing.

28. A faucet system including:

an electronic faucet including a spout, a fluid supply conduit supported by the spout, a valve assembly having an electrically operable valve positioned to regulate fluid flow through the fluid supply conduit, and a controller operative to control the electrically operable valve to control fluid flow through the fluid supply conduit, the controller including a port, the controller and the port being mounted to the valve assembly; and

a secondary dispensing device including a spout, a fluid supply conduit supported by the spout, and electronics operably coupled to the port of the controller of the electronic faucet, the controller being operative to at least one of control and power the electronics of the secondary dispensing device via the port to control fluid flow through the fluid supply conduit of the secondary dispensing device.

29. The faucet system of claim 28, wherein the electronics include an electrically operable valve positioned to regulate fluid flow through the fluid supply conduit of the secondary dispensing device.

30. The faucet system of claim 29, wherein the secondary dispensing device includes a proximity sensor configured to detect an object near the spout of the secondary dispensing device and to transmit a detection signal to the controller through the port, and the controller is operative to control the electrically operable valve of the secondary dispensing device based on the detection signal.

31. The faucet system of claim 30, wherein the proximity sensor includes a capacitive touch sensor operative to detect an object contacting the spout of the secondary dispensing device.

32. The faucet system of claim 28, further including an electrical cable routed from the port of the controller to the electronics of the secondary dispensing device to route power and control signals from the controller of the electronic faucet to the electronics of the secondary dispensing device, the electrical cable including a connector that is releasably coupled to the port.

33. The faucet of claim 32, wherein the controller includes a printed circuit board coupled to the valve assembly, and the processor and the port are mounted to the printed circuit board.

34. The faucet of claim 33, wherein the valve assembly includes an outer housing having an opening, the printed circuit board and the electrically operable valve are positioned in the outer housing, and the port is accessible through the opening of the outer housing.

35. The faucet system of claim 28, wherein the controller is operably coupled to a power source for powering the electronic faucet, and the controller powers the electronics of the secondary dispensing device from the power source via the port.

36. The faucet system of claim 28, wherein the secondary dispensing device includes at least one of a soap dispenser and a beverage dispenser.

37. The faucet system of claim 28, wherein the secondary dispensing device includes an electronic faucet.