Automatic water faucet

• US 6,006,784 A
• Filed: 10/20/1998
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: URO Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: URO Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nakajima, Noboru, Tsutsui, Hidetaka, Kodaira, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Michalsky, Gerald A.
• Application Number:
  US09/175,439
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 4/623, 4/678, 137/329.1, 137/359, 137/614.05, 137/801, 251/129.04, 251/149.1
• US Class Current: 137/801
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/0403 Connecting the supply lines to the tap body
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2001/0416 using a socket for mounting of faucet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6977 Escutcheon type support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

Abstract

An automatic water faucet in which the neck portion can be easily attached to the sink, after a common base for receiving the faucet has been attached. To achieve such a purpose, the automatic water faucet comprises a water faucet seat and a neck portion. The water faucet seat is constructed to engage with the neck portion by inserting the neck portion into the water faucet seat and rotating the former repeatedly to the latter so as to assemble them together.

Claims

1. An automatic water faucet which is attached to a sink and which opens a valve in accordance with the output of a sensor detecting the proximity of a hand to supply water from a mouth of the faucet,

the automatic water faucet comprising:

a water faucet seat fixedly attached to the sink including;

a water path at the central portion thereof, a swollen portion within the swollen portion of the water path, housing a water shut-off body and having a tapered upper end;

a neck receiving portion, the upper portion of the water path continuous to the upper end of the swollen portion, and having a diameter that increases at least two points toward the upper direction;

an internal engagement portion that engages with the neck at the upper end of the neck receiving portion;

an external engagement portion disposed concentrically with the internal engagement portion so as to surround the internal engagement portion and to engage with the neck;

wherein the internal engagement portion and the external engagement portion are each integrally constructed with the water path, and the water shut-off body does not include a spring; and

a neck portion including;

a water path at the central portion thereof;

a cylindrical projected portion at the lower end having sections cut out of it a portion that contacts the water shut-off body housed in the swollen portion;

a tubular portion provided continuously to this projected portion and provided with an O ring around the outer circumference thereof;

an inside holding portion and an outside holding portion inserted into the water faucet seat and held to the internal engagement portion and the external engagement portion by the repeated rotation thereof and which couples the water path to the water faucet seat in a water tight manner, the neck portion being assembled integrally with the water faucet seat.

2. An automatic water faucet as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the engagement portion and the holding portion have bayonet mechanism.

3. An automatic water faucet as set forth in claim 2,

wherein a concealed locking mechanism is provided within the bayonet mechanism.

4. An automatic water faucet as set forth in claim 1,

which comprises a signal transmission path for carrying out transmission/reception of signals between the water faucet seat and the neck portion.

5. An automatic water faucet as set forth in claim 4,

wherein the signal transmission path is constituted by optical fiber.

6. An automatic water faucet as set forth in claim 4,

wherein the signal transmission path is constituted by insulated electric conductor.

7. An automatic water faucet as set forth in claim 4,

wherein the signal transmission path is constituted by a combination of an optical fiber and a light emitting/light receiving device.