Structure of faucet for automatic water supply and stoppage

• US 4,826,129 A
• Filed: 05/03/1988
• Issued: 05/02/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caprilion Enterprise Co.
• Original Assignee: Caprilion Enterprise Co.
• Inventors: Chen, Jack, Fong, Jach
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenthal, Arnold
• Application Number:
  US07/189,800
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 251/129.04, 251/129.1, 251/65, 4/623
• US Class Current: 251/129.04
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors

Abstract

The present invention relates to an improved faucet structure for automatic water supply and stoppage wherein the controller actuates the two-way electromagnetic valve to let the water flow out when the user'"'"'s hands are close to the front of said faucet, and the valve is capable of automatic locking and can be actuated by only an instantaneous trigger of electric energy so as to achieve the practical purpose of saving power, safety and convenience.

Claims

1. An improved faucet for automatic water supply and stoppage comprising a controller disposed at the inner bottom of the faucet, an infrared transmitter and infrared receiver of said controller disposed toward the front of the faucet and coupled to said controller, a water flow passage including outlet and inlet passages and cross passages connected to said outlet and inlet passages and communicating with the bottom surface of a recess, and a two-way electromagnetic valve disposed in the said recess, said valve including, a clockwise coil and a counterclockwise coil disposed in the said valve, a permanent magnet fixed in the upper part of a shaft hole extending upwardly from the recess in coaxial disposition with said coils, a mandrel inserted in the lower part of the shaft hole, a close block mounted at the end of said mandrel and just opposite to a first one of said cross passages connected to said outlet passage, a spring having one end fixed onto an end of said mandrel, and with another end of said spring being caught around the opening of said shaft hole, whereby detection of a user adjacent to said transmitter and receiver of the controller, enables the controller to actuate the two-way electromagnetic valve to provide automatic water supply and stoppage between said inlet and outlet passages via said cross passages and recess.

2. The faucet of claim 1, wherein said infrared transmitter and receiver sense the presence of a user, in proximity to the faucet to enable said controller to provide a first trigger signal, and sense removal of a user from proximity to the faucet to enable said controller to provide a second trigger signal.

3. The faucet of claim 1, wherein a first one of said clockwise and counterclockwise coils is disposed to move said mandrel and close block away from said first one of said cross passages upon reception of said first trigger signal from said controller, said parmanent magnet is disposed to hold said mandrel away from said first one of said cross passages after said mandrel is moved away from said first one of said cross passages, and a second one of said clockwise and counterclockwise coils is disposed to move said mandrel away from said permanent magnet and toward said first one of said cross passages upon reception of said second trigger signal from said controller.

4. The faucet of claim 3, wherein said spring is disposed to bias said mandrel to travel toward said first one of said cross passages.

5. The faucet of claim 1, further comprised of a constant potential source coupled to said clockwise and counterclockwise coils, and said controller is coupled to said clockwise and counterclockwise coils to selectively connect, said constant potential source via alternate ones of said clockwise and counterclockwise coils to a ground potential.

6. The faucet of claim 2, further comprised of a constant potential source coupled to said clockwise and counterclockwise coils, and switching means disposed between said coils and controller to selectively connect said constant potential source to a ground potential via alternate ones of sad clockwise and counterclockwise coils in response to reception of corresponding ones of said first and second trigger signals.

7. The faucet of claim 3, further comprised of a constant potential source coupled to said clockwise and counterclockwise coils, and switching means disposed between said coils and controller to selectively connect said constant potential source to a ground potential via alternate ones of said clockwise and counterclockwise coils in response to reception of corresponding ones of said first and second trigger signals.

8. The faucet of claim 4, further comprised of a constant potential source coupled to said clockwise and counterclockwise coils, and switching means disposed between said coils and controller to selectively connect said constant potential source to a ground potential via alternate ones of said clockwise and counterclockwise coils in response to reception of corresponding ones of said first and second trigger signals.

9. A faucet for automatic water supply and stoppage, comprising:

controller means disposed within a faucet to sense the presence and removal of a user from in proximity to the front of the faucet, for providing a first trigger signal upon sensing the presence of a user in proximity and for providing a second trigger signal upon sensing removal of the user from proximity;

electro-magnetic valve means disposed to interrupt passage of effluent between an inlet to the faucet and an outlet at the front of the faucet, said electro-magnetic valve means including oppositely wound first and second coils, a shaft extending coaxially through said coils, a permanent magnet positioned to engage said mandrel while said mandrel is in an upper position, bias means for urging said mandrel toward a lower position to interrupt the flow of effluent between said inlet and outlet, said electro-magnetic valve means for providing electro-magnetic force causing said mandrel to travel to said upper position in response to said first trigger signal and for providing electro-magnetic force for urging said mandrel to travel to said lower position in response to said second trigger signal; and

switching means to disposed between said controller means and said electro-magnetic valve means for coupling corresponding ones of said first and second coils in an electrically conducting circuit in response to reception of respective ones of said first and second trigger signals.

10. The faucet of claim 9, further comprising:

cross passages connecting said outlet and inlet within the faucet;

said mandrel engaging a first one of said cross passages while in the lower position to interrupt flow of effluent between said inlet and outlet; and

a first one of said clockwise and counterclockwise coils is disposed to move said mandrel away from said first one of said cross passages upon reception of said first trigger signal from said controller, said permanent magnet is disposed to hold said mandrel away from said first one of said cross passages after said mandrel is moved away from said first one of said cross passages, and a second one of said clockwise and counterclockwise coils is disposed to move said mandrel away from said permanent magnet and toward said first one of said cross passages upon reception of said second trigger signal from said controller.

11. The faucet of claim 10, wherein said bias means is disposed to urge said mandrel to travel toward a rest position where said mandrel engages said first one of said cross passages.

12. The faucet of claim 9, further comprised on a constant potential source coupled to said clockwise and counterclockwise coils, and said switching means is coupled to said clockwise and counterclockwise coils to selectively connect said constant potential source via alternate ones of said clockwise and counterclockwise coils to a ground potential.

13. The faucet of claim 10, further comprised of a constant potential source coupled to said clockwise and counterclockwise coils, and switching means disposed between said coils and controller to selectively connect said constant potential source to a ground potential via alternate ones of said clockwise and counterclockwise coils in response to reception of corresponding ones of said first and second trigger signals.

14. The faucet of claim 11, further comprised of a constant potential source coupled to said clockwise and counterclockwise coils, and switching means disposed between said coils and controller to selectively connect said constant potential source to a ground potential via alternate ones of said clockwise and counterclockwise coils in response to reception of corresponding ones of said first and second trigger signals.