Structure of faucet for automatic water supply and stoppage

• US 5,080,324 A
• Filed: 01/16/1991
• Issued: 01/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chi, Cheng-Hsian
• Original Assignee: Chi, Cheng-Hsian
• Inventors: Chi, Cheng-Hsian
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenthal, Arnold
• Application Number:
  US07/641,769
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 251/129.04, 251/30.03, 251/44, 4/623
• US Class Current: 251/129.04
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/05 Arrangements of devices on wash-basins, baths, sinks, or the like for remote control of taps remote control of taps or the like per se F16K
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/408 the discharge being effected through the piston and being blockable by an electrically-actuated member making contact with the piston

Abstract

A faucet for automatic water supply and stoppage, comprising a casing having fastened therein a battery-operated two-way electromagnetic valve controlled by an infrared controller to control a water flow control assembly to stop or open a water outlet passage. The water flow control assembly comprises a movable stopper to releasably block up the water outlet passage, an elastic element disposed above the movable stopper, covered with a cover plate, and defining with the cover plate a water chamber. The cover plate has an outlet hole at the top, which is controlled to open or close by the mandrel of the electromagnetic valve and disposed in communication with the water outlet passage, and an inlet hole which is disposed in communication with the water chamber. The movable stopper defines therein a channel having one end disposed in communication with the water inlet passage and an opposite end disposed in communication with said water chamber through a through-hole made in size relatively smaller than the inlet hole of the cover plate. The infrared controller is sensed to trigger the electromagnetic valve to lift the mandrel from the outlet hole, permitting the movable stopper to be pushed toward the water chamber by intake water pressure so as to fully open the water outlet passage.

Claims

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

a casing, having disposed therein an infrared controller means to sense the presence and removal of a user from in proximity to the front of the faucet, a water inlet passage and a water outlet passage;

an electromagnetic valve means including a mandrel controlled by said infrared controller to move upon and down;

a water flow control assembly disposed in said casing above said water inlet and outlet passages, controlled to open or close said water outlet passage by said two-way electromagnetic valve means; and

characterized in that;

said water flow control assembly comprises a movable stopper to releasably block said water outlet passage, an elastic element disposed above said movable stopper, a cover plate above the elastic member, a water chamber defined between the stopper and the cover plate around the elastic member, said cover plate having an outlet hole controlled to open or close from above by said mandrel and disposed in communication with said water outlet passage, said mandrel being located to operate in a space above the cover plate passage means providing waterflow communication between said water chamber and said space, said movable stopper defining therein a channel disposed in communication with said water inlet passage directly, and in communication with said water chamber through a through-hole made in size relatively smaller than said passage means;

the presence of a user from in proximity to the front of the faucet is sensed by said infrared controller means to cause said electromagnetic valve means to lift said mandrel from said outlet hole, and subsequently permitting said movable stopper to be pushed toward said water chamber by intake pressure, due to reduced pressure in said chamber caused by the size difference between said through hole and said passage means so as to fully open said water outlet passage.

2. The faucet of claim 1, wherein said channel of said movable stopper is covered with a wire gauze filter.

3. The faucet of claim 1, which further comprises a rubber valve disposed in the space between the electromagnetic valve and cover plate to separate said space into upper and lower chambers, a first inlet hole disposed in the peripheral of said rubber valve so as to communicate said chambers with each other, an outlet hole disposed in the center of said rubber valve, which is blocked up by the close block of said electromagnetic valve, a closed outlet passage disposed in the bottom of said rubber valve and wherein said passage means includes a pressure reducing valve connected between said water chamber and said lower chamber for automatically regulating the water pressure.

4. The faucet of claim 1 wherein the passage means comprises an inlet hole in the cover plate.