PROXIMITY SWITCHING EQUIPMENT

• US 3,670,167 A
• Filed: 05/14/1970
• Issued: 06/13/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Norman Arthur Forbes
• Original Assignee: Norman Arthur Forbes
• Inventors: Forbes, Norman Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Lindquist, William F.
• Application Number:
  US05/037,077
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 4/99,100,249 250/221,237R 251/129 340/258B,280
• US Class Current: 250/221
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/941 using an optical detector H03K17/968 takes precedence

Abstract

Covers equipment for a plumbing fixture, such as a wash basin, lavatory, etc., employing a photo-conductive cell structure mounted within a view tube pointed in the direction of the user of the plumbing fixture. The photo cell structure will recognize or respond to the presence or absence of a user in the vicinity of the plumbing fixture. The cell may act as a trigger or switch to initiate the operation of the plumbing fixture to transmit water therethrough and then control apparatus to shut off the flow of water to the plumbing fixture after the user has removed his hands from the wash basin or has removed himself from the view of the photo cell structure.

Claims

1. Control apparatus for a plumbing fixture comprising two hollow tubes positioned remote from the plumbing fixture and each housing a photo-electric structure, one of the tubes being pointed directly toward the basin of the plumbing fixture, the other of the tubes being pointed toward the area adjacent the plumbing fixture so that the photo-electric structure therein will respond to the approach of a user, means for operating the plumbing fixture only when both photo-electric structures have been operated, and means for releasing the plumbing fixture only when the user has departed from the plumbing fixture.

2. Control apparatus according to claim 1 including switching mechanism controlled by the photo-electric structures.

3. Apparatus for operating the solenoid valve of a plumbing fixture, comprising means for generating two sequential pulses of different polarities to control the operation and release of said solenoid valve, photo-electric structure positioned remote from the plumbing fixture but pointed toward the plumbing fixture means responding to the advent of one part of the user'"'"''"'"'s body in the arena of the photo-electric structure to change the impedance of said photo-electric structure to cause said generating means to produce one of said pulses and responding to the advent of another part of a user'"'"''"'"'s body in the arena of the photo-electric structure to cause said generating means to produce the other of said pulses.

4. AppAratus according to claim 3 including means to prevent any substantial change in the impedance of the photo-electric structure except in response to the advent of either of said parts of the user'"'"''"'"'s body.

5. The method of operating a plumbing fixture only when a person is prepared to use the fixture, which consists in exposing a first photo-electric device to ambient light for producing a first photo-electric effect upon the entrance of the person into a predetermined arena closely adjacent the front of the fixture, exposing a second photo-electric device to ambient light for producing a second photo-electric effect when the hand of said person has entered a second predetermined closely adjacent arena, and transmitting water through the fixture only upon the simultaneous production of both photo-electric effects.

6. The method of operating a plumbing fixture according to claim 5, including the step of stopping the flow of water through the plumbing fixture only upon the removal of the person from the first arena.

7. The method of operating a plumbing fixture according to claim 5, including the step of stopping the flow of water only upon the removal of the person from both arenas.

8. The method of automatically operating a plumbing fixture only when a person is in position to use the fixture which consists of exposing a first photo-electric device to ambient light for producing a first photo-electric effect immediately upon the entrance of the person into a first arena in front of said fixture, exposing a second photo-electric device to ambient light for producing a second photo-electric effect when a limb of said person has entered a second but adjacent arena in front of said fixture, operating the fixture to deliver water only in response to the simultaneous production of both photo-electric effects, and releasing the flow of water through the fixture only when the person has left the first arena.

9. The method of operating a plumbing fixture according to claim 8 which includes the step of preventing the flow of water through the fixture upon the removal of the limb of the person from the second arena while the person remains in the first arena.

10. Protection apparatus for a plumbing fixture comprising a photo-cell structure positioned within a tube which is pointed toward a predetermined protection area and is exposed only to ambient light, means for generating a first pulse when one section of the protection area is invaded and a second pulse when a second section of the protection area is invaded, and means responsive to the simultaneous generation of both pulses to produce a signal for transmitting water through the plumbing fixture.

11. Protection apparatus for a plumbing fixture according to claim 10 including means to de-activate the signal upon the removal of the invasion from the protection area to stop the flow of water through the plumbing fixture.

12. Protection apparatus for a plumbing fixture according to claim 10 in which the tube is divided into two segments and the photo cell structure is composed of two photo cells, one cell being positioned in one segment of the tube and another cell in the other segment of the tube.