Apparatus for preventing unwanted operation of sensor activated flush valves

• US 4,805,247 A
• Filed: 04/08/1987
• Issued: 02/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coyne & Delany C
• Original Assignee: Coyne & Delany Co.
• Inventors: Laverty, Martin J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Watkins, Donald
• Application Number:
  US07/035,887
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 4/302, 4/303, 4/304, 4/305, 4/DIG. 3, 4/249, 4/623
• US Class Current: 4/304
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/105 touchless, e.g. using sensors

Abstract

A flushing system for a sanitary disposal device, such as a urinal or a water closet, including a flush valve, a flush valve actuator and external controls to control the activation of the flush valve to predetermine the time when the flush valve is rendered operative to be activated, and a sensor responsive circuit responsive to the receipt of infrared rays transmitted or reflected from a particular area or volume relative to the sanitary disposal device for activating the sensor responsive circuit to cause the flush valve to be rendered operative to flush the sanitary disposal device, and a control to provide for adjustment in the field of the particular area or volume which is to render the sensor responsive circuit activated.

Claims

1. An automatic flushing system, comprising:

means for activating a flush valve to flush a sanitary disposal device, said activating means including first and second infrared filters to prevent the system from staying in its armed or working mode and burning itself out; and

an infrared sensor activated circuit for transmitting an infrared signal through said first filter and receiving a reflection of said frared signal through said second filter to activate the flush valve responsive to the reflection of the infrared signal received through said second filter.

2. The system of claim 1, including:

means externally controlled including an automatic circuit preventor to control said activating means to predetermined the time when said activating means is rendered operative to render said flush valve operable;

said externally controlled means being subject to human intervention to apply power to said sensor circuit after a power fault.

3. The flushing system of claim 2, including a sensor associated with said sensor-activated circuit, and wherein said externally controlled means includes means to hold said sensor in its off-mode.

4. The flushing system of claim 1, wherein said flush valve and said sensor activated circuit are power operated and rendered inoperative in response to a cut-off of power, and including an R-C circuit in circuit with said infrared sensor activated circuit for preventing reactivation of said sensor circuit after a power loss or a cut-off of power.

5. The flushing system of claim 2, wherein said flush valve and said sensor activated circuit are power operated and rendered inoperative in response to a cut-off of power, and including an R-C circuit in circuit with said infrared sensor activated circuit for preventing reactivation of said sensor circuit after a power loss or a cut-off of power.

6. The system of claim 18, including an R-C circuit in circuit with said infrared sensor activated circuit for preventing reactivation of said sensor circuit after a removal of power.

12. The flushing system according to claim 1, including a range adjuster for adjusting the spacing from the floor and from the sanitary disposal device to provide for a first range from the sanitary disposal device and a second range from the floor within which ranges said sensor activated circuit is responsive to the reflection of the infrared signal received through said second filter.

13. The system of claim 1 for use in connection with an installation having more than one urinal or water closet, each functioning as a santiary disposal device, and each said sanitary disposal device having a flush valve associated therewith, including an individual reset for each said sanitary disposal device for rendering the flush valve associated therewith operative.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said system includes a plurality of installations, each said installation having at least one sanitary disposal device means separately controlling each of said installations.

15. The automatic system of claim 1 for at least two installations each having at least one urinal or water closet, and a flush valve associated with each said urinal and water closet, said flush valves being electrically power operated and including a time delay circuit operatively associated with said flush valve for creating a time delay to prevent simultaneous operation of all flush valves when power is restored.

16. The automatic system of claim 15, wherein said time delay circuit includes a resistance-capacitor network.

17. The system according to claim 1, including a preset timer for each restroom, and means to adjust said preset timer to control the time elapse after power is turned on to activate the flush valve.

18. The system according to claim 1, for at least two restrooms including a, time delay circuit and a voltage comparing circuit for delaying resetting of the flush valve operation, said voltage comparing circuit rendering the flush valve operative after the time delay circuit reaches a predetermined pre-set voltage.

19. The flushing system according to claim 1, including a range adjuster for adjusting the spacing within which reflected signals are effective to activate said sensor activated circuit.

7. An automatic flushing system for a sanitary disposal device such as a urinal or a water closet, comprising:

infrared sensor responsive means for activating a sensor responsive flush valve to flush the sanitary disposal device;

means externally controlled including an overriding control to control said activating means to predetermine the time after a power fault when said sensor activating means is rendered receptive to be rendered operative to render said flush valve operable; and

means responsive to restoration of power after the power fault to cause said sensor responsive flush valve to rest in the valve-off condition to thereby provide for the valve to resume operation when normally actuated.

8. The system according to claim 7 for at least two restrooms, each said restroom having at least one said sanitary disposal device, wherein said externally controlled means includes a normally open circuit preventor for each said restroom, and means to close said open circuit preventor selectively to control when each said restroom is rendered ready for the flush valve to be rendered operative in response to activation by said infrared sensor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said externally controlled means includes a normally open circuit preventor for each said restroom, and means to close said open circuit preventor selectively to control when each said restroom is rendered ready for the flush valve to be rendered operative in response to activation by said infrared sensor.

10. The flushing system according to claim 7, including a range adjuster for adjusting the spacing within which reflected signals are effective to activate said sensor activated circuit.

11. The flushing system according to claim 10, wherein said range adjuster includes means to adjust the sensitivity of the receiver of said sensor activated circuit.

20. An automatic flushing system, comprising:

means for activating a flush valve to flush a sanitary disposal device, said activating means including first and second infrared sensors;

an infrared sensor activated circuit for transmitting an infrared signal from said first sensor and receiving a reflection of said infrared signal by said second sensor to activate the flush valve responsive to the reflection of the infrared signal received by said second sensor; and

means externally controlled including an overriding control to control said activating means to predetermine the time after a power fault when said activating means is rendered operative to render said flush valve operable.