Touchless Activation of a Toilet

• US 20150167280A1
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluidmaster Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fluidmaster Incorporated
• Inventors: Sampson, Adam, Valoff, Scott, Le, Tuan, Cataiano, Derres, Walton, Stewart, Milley, Robb
• Granted Patent: US 9,428,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/105 touchless, e.g. using sensors

Abstract

A toilet sensor and actuator assembly, having: (a) an infrared sensor configured to detect the presence of an object at a far distance from a toilet; (b) an ultrasonic sensor configured to detect the presence of the object at a near distance from the toilet, wherein the ultrasonic sensor remains in a sleep mode until awakened by a signal from the infrared sensor that the infrared sensor has detected the presence of the object at the far distance; and (c) an actuator mechanism that flushes the toilet in response to a signal from the ultrasonic sensor that the ultrasonic sensor has detected the presence of the object at the near distance.

Claims

1. A sensor and actuator assembly, comprising:

an infrared sensor configured to detect the presence of a user;

an ultrasonic sensor configured to detect the presence of the user; and

an actuator mechanism that activates in response to a signal from the ultrasonic sensor that the ultrasonic sensor has detected the presence of the user.

2. The sensor and actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic sensor remains in a sleep mode until awakened by a signal from the infrared sensor after the infrared sensor has first detected the presence of the user.

3. The sensor and actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the infrared sensor detects the presence of the user at a far distance and the ultrasonic sensor detects the presence of the user at a near distance.

4. The sensor and actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the near distance is less than 8 inches.

5. The sensor and actuator assembly of claim 4, wherein the near distance is less than 3 inches.

6. The sensor and actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator mechanism causes a toilet to flush.

7. The sensor and actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator mechanism causes a faucet to turn on.

8. The sensor and actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator mechanism causes an appliance to turn on.

9. The sensor and actuator assembly of claim 6, wherein the actuator mechanism comprises:

a solenoid;

a plunger rod in the solenoid, the plunger rod being moved by electric current passing through the solenoid; and

a pneumatic tube or a connecting cable, wherein movement of the plunger rod causes air to move in the pneumatic tube or wherein movement of the plunger rod moves the connecting cable, and wherein the movement of air in the pneumatic tube or the movement of the connecting cable causes the toilet to flush.

10. The sensor and actuator assembly of claim 9, further comprising:

a housing, wherein the infrared sensor, the ultrasonic sensor and the solenoid are all disposed within the housing.

11. The sensor and actuator assembly of claim 10, wherein the housing passes through a toilet tank wall.

12. The sensor and actuator assembly of claim 10, wherein the assembly further comprises:

a battery power supply that supplies power to the infrared sensor and the ultrasonic sensor.

13. The sensor and actuator assembly of claim 12, further comprising:

a battery canister, wherein the battery canister is connected to the housing and the battery canister is disposed within a toilet tank.

14. The sensor and actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly further comprises:

a microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller receives the signal from the infrared sensor that the user has been detected and then sends a signal to the ultrasonic sensor to awaken the ultrasonic sensor from the sleep mode.

15. A sensor and actuator assembly, comprising:

an ultrasonic sensor configured to detect the presence of a user; and

an flush actuator mechanism that flushes a toilet in response to a signal from the ultrasonic sensor when the ultrasonic sensor detects the presence of the user.

16. A method of actuating a device comprising:

detecting the presence of a user using an infrared sensor;

detecting the presence of the user with the ultrasonic sensor; and

activating an actuator mechanism in response to the ultrasonic sensor detecting the presence of the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the ultrasonic sensor remains in a sleep mode until awakened by a signal from the infrared sensor after the infrared sensor has first detected the presence of the user.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein activating the actuator mechanism causes a toilet to flush.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the infrared sensor detects the presence of the user at a far distance and the ultrasonic sensor detects the presence of the user at a near distance.