Automatic shower control

• US 5,829,072 A
• Filed: 01/11/1996
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Friedrich Grohe AG & Co. KG (LIXIL Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Friedrich Grohe AG (LIXIL Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirsch, Heinz, Kolbert, Gunter, Eichholz, Heinz-Dieter, Ludewig, Hans-Jurgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Fetsuga, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US08/587,884
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 4/597, 4/605, 4/615, 4/623, 4/604, 4/675, 4/668, 4/546, 4/559, 239/70, 239/73, 239/99, 251/129.04, 137/624.11, 137/624.12, 137/624.2
• US Class Current: 4/605
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors

Abstract

An automatic shower control for the flow to a shower head by a detection device and its control and evaluation circuitry which detects the presence of a user and includes switching device for activation and deactivation of the control. An intensity selective evaluation of the detector signal indicates whether the signal derives from an object in a close proximity range or a normal proximity range to the detector and the system is switched on by the presence of an object in the close proximity range. During operation in the normal proximity range, which can terminate when the user leaves this range, water shut off can also be effected by movement of an object into the close proximity range.

Claims

1. A shower comprising:

a shower head;

a magnetic valve controlling flow of water to said shower head;

a proximity detector responsive to the presence of a user in a close range and in a normal range extending in a cone from said detector and which includes the path of water from said shower head, said proximity detector emitting a signal with intensity varying from a first intensity upon detecting an object in the close range to a second intensity once an object is detected in the normal range; and

a control circuit connected between said valve and said proximity detector and responsive to the first and second intensity of the signal thus discriminating between an object in the close range and an object in the normal range, the control circuit;

initiating water flow upon movement of an object into said normal range in a mode corresponding to the presence of an object in said close range,

setting a time interval T_N during which water flow to said head is maintained if the presence of a user is or is not detected in said normal range,

setting a time interval T_R after termination of said time interval T_N if the presence of a user is not detected in said normal range and for turning off said water flow upon termination of the interval T_R during which said control circuit maintains the water flow, and

resetting said mode corresponding to the presence of an object in said close range after termination of said time interval T_R.

2. The shower defined in claim 1 wherein said control circuit and said proximity detector are constructed and arranged so that said detector has a detector cone diverging from said detector, said close range extends from said detector to substantially 100 mm from said detector in said cone and said normal range extends from 100 mm from said detector to 800 mm from said detector along said cone.

3. The shower defined in claim 1 further comprising means in said control circuit for setting a maximum period of water flow from said shower head in said normal range.