Infrared detector with beam path adjustment

• US 6,161,814 A
• Filed: 03/18/1999
• Issued: 12/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Original Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Inventors: Jahrling, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US09/271,834
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 4/DIG. 3, 4/313, 4/623, 251/129.04, 250/221, 250/559.3, 250/559.4
• US Class Current: 251/129.04
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/105 touchless, e.g. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4812 transmitted and received beams following a coaxial path
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 4/03 Electric flushing

Abstract

An electrical control system for operating a toilet flushing device includes an electric operator, a source of power for the operator and a detection system for detecting the presence of a user of a toilet device and upon detection thereof connecting the source of power to the electric operator. The detection system includes an infrared transmitter and an adjacent infrared receiver, with the receiver being sensitive to infrared radiation reflected from a toilet device user. There is a refracting element positioned in front of the transmitter and receiver to bend the transmitted infrared radiation beam to a desired angle relative to the initial direction of the transmitted beam and to bend a reflected beam from a toilet device user to a direction wherein it is generally parallel to the initial transmitted beam.

Claims

1. An infrared detection system for use in sensing the presence of a user of a toilet room device including an infrared transmitter for sending a beam of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared spectrum, a receiver responsive to infrared radiation reflected from an object in the path of said transmitted radiation, and refracting means located in front of and adjacent the transmitter and receiver for bending the transmitted beam to a desired angle relative to the initial direction of the transmitted beam, said refracting means bending a reflected beam traveling along the desired angle so that the reflected beam, after refraction, is generally parallel to the transmitted beam.

2. The detection system of claim 1 further characterized in that said refracting means includes means for preventing the transmitted beam from being reflected directly back to the receiver.

3. The detection system of claim 1 further characterized in that said refracting means includes a housing, a thin film having a plurality of adjacent prisms being positioned in said housing and located in front of said transmitter and receiver.

4. The detection system of claim 3 further characterized in that said housing mounts a thin film having a plurality of adjacent prisms in front of said transmitter and a thin film having a plurality of adjacent prisms in front of said receiver, said housing including means separating said thin films.

5. The detection system of claim 4 further characterized in that said adjacent prisms are generally parallel.

6. The detection system of claim 3 further characterized in that said film is formed of a polymethyl methacrylate blend.

7. The detection system of claim 1 further characterized by and including a focusing lens positioned between said transmitter and said refracting means and a focusing lens positioned between said receiver and refracting means.

8. An electrical control system for operating a toilet flushing device including a toilet flushing device electric operator, a source of power therefor, a detection system for detecting the presence of a user of a toilet device and upon detection thereof connecting the source of power to the electric operator, said detection system including a receiver sensitive to electromagnetic radiation from the toilet device user, and refracting means positioned in front of said receiver for bending the electromagnetic radiation from the toilet device user to a direction wherein it is generally normal to said receiver.

9. The electrical control system of claim 8 further characterized by and including a transmitter of electromagnetic radiation located adjacent to said receiver, said receiver being sensitive to electromagnetic radiation reflected from a toilet device user.

10. The electrical control system of claim 9 further characterized in that said refracting means is positioned in front of said transmitter and receiver and bends the transmitted electromagnetic radiation to a desired angle and bends the reflected electromagnetic radiation through the same angle so that the reflected radiation is generally parallel to said transmitted radiation.

11. An electrical control system for operating a toilet flushing device including a toilet flushing device electric operator, a source of power therefor, a detection system for detecting the presence of a user of a toilet device and upon detection thereof connecting the source of power to the electric operator, said detection system including an infrared transmitter and an adjacent infrared receiver, said receiver being sensitive to infrared radiation reflected from a toilet device user, refracting means positioned in front of said transmitter and receiver to bend the transmitted infrared beam to a desired angle relative to the initial direction of the transmitted beam and to bend a reflected beam from a toilet device user to a direction wherein it is generally parallel to the initial direction of the transmitted beam.

12. The control system of claim 11 further characterized in that said source of power is at least one battery mounted adjacent to said electric operator.

13. The control system of claim 11 further characterized in that said source of power is commercially available electric power.

14. The control system of claim 11 further characterized in that said refracting means includes a thin transparent film having a plurality of generally parallel adjacent prisms, said film being positioned adjacent and located in front of said transmitter and receiver.

15. The control system of claim 14 further characterized in that there is a separate transparent film with parallel prisms in front of said receiver and a separate film with parallel prisms in front of said transmitter.

16. The control system of claim 15 further characterized by and including means separating said separate transparent films.

17. The control system of claim 11 further characterized in that said refracting means includes a housing, and a transparent film having a plurality of generally parallel prisms positioned in said housing in front of said transmitter, a transparent film having a plurality of generally parallel prisms positioned in said housing and in front of said receiver.

18. The control system of claim 17 further characterized in that said housing includes a recess, each of said films being positioned within said recess.

19. The control system of claim 18 further characterized in that said housing includes a portion thereof separating said transparent films to prevent reflection of a transmitted infrared beam from being reflected directly back to said receiver.

20. The control system of claim 11 further characterized in that the toilet flushing device operates a urinal.

21. The control system of claim 11 further characterized in that said toilet flushing device operates a water closet.

22. The control system of claim 11 further characterized by and including a cover enclosing said electric operator, source of power and detection system, said cover permitting the passage of infrared radiation, said refracting means being located inside of said cover.

23. An infrared detection system for use in sensing the presence of a user of a toilet room device including an infrared transmitter for sending a beam of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared spectrum, a receiver responsive to infrared radiation reflected from an object in the path of said transmitted radiation, and refracting means located in front of the transmitter for bending the transmitted beam to a desired angle relative to the initial direction of the transmitted beam.

24. The infrared detection system of claim 23 further characterized by and including refracting means located in front of the receiver for bending a reflected beam traveling along the desired angle so that the reflected beam, after refraction, is generally parallel to the transmitted beam.