ELECTRONIC AUTOMATIC FAUCET DEVICE

• US 3,799,198 A
• Filed: 12/08/1972
• Issued: 03/26/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shigenori Kijimoto
• Original Assignee: Shigenori Kijimoto
• Inventors: Kijimoto, Shigenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Klinksiek, Henry T.
• Application Number:
  US05/313,324
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 137/624.12,624.11 251/129 222/70 317/124 141/198
• US Class Current: 137/624.11
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2025 Particular purposes of control systems not otherwise provided for E02F3/16, E02F3/26, sub-groups of E02F3/43, E02F3/651, sub-groups of E02F3/84, E02F3/907, E02F5/145 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/02 electric F16K31/004 takes precedence; magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/941 using an optical detector H03K17/968 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86389 Programmer or timer

Abstract

An electronic automatic faucet device wherein an emitting element of visible or invisible rays, a receiving element for said rays, and a magnet valve are provided for the faucet of a water conduit, wherein the beam path between both the elements is momentarily intercepted, that is, the beam is shut for a short time and the original irradiating state is immediately recovered, thereby to energize the magnet valve into the water feeding state. When the beam path is subsequently intercepted for a moment, the magnet valve is deenergized into the water stopping state. Furthermore, simultaneously with initiation of the water feeding state, a timer circuit starts so as to automatically change said water feeding state to the water stopping state when a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

Claims

1. An automatic electronic faucet device comprising:

a fluid faucet which includes control means to open and close a fluid conduit;

first means for causing a change in the electrical impedance of an electrical element in response to a controlling event;

switching means responsive to said change in the electrical impedance of said element to energize said control means in response to a first occurrence of the controlling event and thereby open said fluid conduit, and to deenergize said control means in response to a second occurrence of the same controlling event and thereby close said fluid conduit; and

timing means for generating a timing signal for said control means independently of said switching means after a predetermined time has elapsed after said control means has been energized, the operation of said timing means starting about simultaneously with the energization of said control means.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first means includes a ray-emitting element and a ray-receiving element in an operative association, said eleCtrical impedance being the electrical resistance of said ray-receiving element and said controlling event being the interception of a beam path between said ray-emitting element and said ray-receiving element, whereupon the electrical resistance of said ray-receiving element changes in response to said interception.

3. The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said switching means includes a pulse generating circuit for providing electrical pulse signals each time the electrical resistance of said ray-receiving element changes, and a bistable multivibrator circuit which conducts an inverting operation in response to said pulse signals from said pulse generating circuit, the on-off state of said switching means being controlled by the output signals from said bistable multivibrator circuit, said control means being controlled to be opened and closed by the output signals from said switching means, said timing means starting its operation at the same time that said control means is energized and generating said timing signal and thereby closing said fluid conduit when said predetermined time has elapsed.

4. The device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said control means is a magnetically actuated valve, said pulse-generating circuit is a semiconductor circuit, and said timing means is a semiconductor timing circuit.

5. The device as set forth in claim 4, wherein said controlling event is the momentary interception of said beam path.

6. The device as set forth in claim 3, further including means for stabilizing said bistable circuit into the same state when a source of power is provided to said device.

7. The device as set forth in claim 6, wherein a base terminal of one of a pair of transistors comprising said bistable multivibrator circuit is grounded through a collector and an emitter of a third transistor, and a base terminal of said third transistor is connected to an intermediate connection point of a time constant circuit which comprises a capacitor connected in series with a parallel circuit comprising a resistor and a diode, whereby said bistable circuit is always stabilized into an identical state at switching on of said power source.

8. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control means is a magnetically actuated valve and wherein said switching means is connected to a latching relay which operates to control said magnetically actuated valve to open and close said valve each time the electric impedance of said electrical element is changed.

9. An automatic electronic faucet device comprising:

a fluid faucet which includes control means to open and close a fluid conduit;

first means for causing a change in the electrical impedance of an electrical element in response to a controlling event;

switching means responsive to said change in the electrical impedance of said element to energize said control means in response to said controlling event and thereby open said fluid conduit and to deenergize said control means in response to a second controlling event;

timing means for generating a timing signal for said control means independently of said switching means after a predetermined time has elapsed after said control means has been energized, the operation of said timing means starting about simultaneously with the energization of said control means;

a source of DC power; and

said timing means includes a semiconductor timing circuit comprising a time constant circuit including a capacitor and a resistor connected in series, a voltage divider circuit in which at least two resistors are connected in series, and said time constant circuit and said voltage divider circuit being connected in parallel across said DC power source, and a unijunction transistor including an emitter terminal operatively connected to an intermediate connection point of said time constant circuit, and a second base terminal connected to an intermediate connection point of said voltage divider circuit, one of said resistors of said voltage divider circuit being adaptEd to be short-circuited whereby said timing signal is generated from a first base terminal of said unijunction transistor by the shortcircuit when the predetermined time set by said time constant circuit has elapsed.

10. An automatic electronic faucet device comprising:

a fluid faucet which includes control means to open and close a fluid conduit;

first means for causing a change in the electrical impedance of an electrical element in response to a controlling event;

switching means responsive to said change in the electrical impedance of said element to energize said control means in response to said controlling event and thereby open said fluid conduit and to deenergize said control means in response to a second controlling event;

timing means for generating a timing signal for said control means independently of said switching means after a predetermined time has elapsed after said control means has been energized, the operation of said timing means starting about simultaneously with the energization of said control means; and

a source of DC power, wherein said timing means includes a semiconductor switching circuit comprising a parallel circuit which includes a relay coil for controlling said control means comprising a magnetically actuated valve, a diode in the circuit with said coil, and a thyristor connected in series with said parallel circuit, the series circuit being connected across said source.