Toilet room sensor assembly

• US 5,548,119 A
• Filed: 04/25/1995
• Issued: 08/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Original Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Inventors: Nortier, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fields, Carolyn E.
• Application Number:
  US08/430,508
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 250/221, 250/239, 250/341.1, 250/341.8, 4/304, 4/623
• US Class Current: 250/341.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4813 Housing arrangements

Abstract

A sensor assembly for use in a toilet room for detecting the adjacent presence of the user of a toilet room device has a body with a hollow threaded mounting shank extending outwardly therefrom. The body has a platform and there is an upwardly extending wall on the platform which defines a chamber. An infrared transmitter and an adjacent infrared receiver are positioned within the chamber on a P.C. board. There is an electrical cable attached to the mounting board and which extends through the threaded shank. A shroud extends about the transmitter and receiver and has a pair of adjacent openings in alignment with the transmitter and receiver. The wall has an infrared transparent window in alignment with the transmitter and receiver openings in the shroud. A cap extends over the wall, chamber and window and is seated upon the platform. The cap has an opening in alignment with the window whereby infrared signals from and to the infrared transmitter and receiver may pass through the cap opening and transparent window for use in detecting the presence of a person adjacent the sensor assembly.

Claims

1. A sensor assembly for use in a toilet room for detecting the adjacent presence of the user of a toilet room device, said assembly including a body having a hollow threaded mounting shank extending outwardly therefrom, said body including a platform, an upwardly extending wall on said platform and defining a chamber, an infrared transmitter and an adjacent infrared receiver positioned within said chamber, a mounting board within said chamber, said transmitter and receiver being attached to said mounting board, an electrical cable attached to said mounting board and extending through said threaded shank, a shroud extending about said transmitter and receiver and having a pair of adjacent openings in alignment with said transmitter and receiver, said wall including an infrared transparent window in alignment with the transmitter and receiver openings in said shroud, and a cap extending over said wall, chamber and window and seated upon said platform, said cap having an opening in alignment with said window whereby infrared signals from and to said infrared transmitter and receiver may pass through said cap opening and transparent window for use in detecting the presence of a person adjacent thereto.

2. The sensor assembly of claim 1 characterized by a peripheral support extending upwardly from said platform and outwardly spaced from said wall, a locking opening in said peripheral support, a locking opening in said cap, which locking openings are in alignment when said cap transmitter and receiver opening is in alignment with said window, and a locking pin positioned within said aligned support and cap locking pin openings for attaching said cap to said body.

3. The sensor of claim 2 characterized in that said wall is irregular in shape and is inwardly spaced from said peripheral support.

4. The sensor of claim 2 characterized by an outwardly facing peripheral groove on said peripheral support adjacent said platform, a flexible ring positioned within said groove for centering said cap on said platform.

5. The sensor of claim 1 characterized in that said cap transmitter and receiver opening and window are sized such that said window is fitted within said cap transmitter and receiver opening when said cap is positioned on said platform.

6. The sensor assembly of claim 1 further characterized by and including an antirotation pin extending upwardly from beneath said platform into said body to prevent rotation of said body relative to an underlying support.