Touch sensor, sanitary fitting with touch sensor and method of detecting a touch on an electrically conductive surface

• US 6,734,685 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2001
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Friedrich Grohe Ago & Co., KG.
• Original Assignee: Friedrich Grohe AG & Co. KG (LIXIL Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rudrich, Hans-Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q.
• Application Number:
  US09/799,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20010022352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 307/116, 324/654, 324/692
• US Class Current: 324/661
• 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: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches

Abstract

A touch sensor with a sensor surface insulated with respect to ground potential, the sensor surface being connected via a measuring resistor to an a.c. voltage generator, and the voltage across the measuring resistor being used as a difference measuring signal. At least one touch sensor can advantageously be integrated in a sanitary fitting and used to control solenoid valves on water feeds of the fitting. An operating element of the fitting is used as a sensor surface and is connected via a connecting cable to control electronics of the sensor. A method of detecting a touch on an electrically conductive surface, a capacitive touch sensor being used which detects the complex conductance of a human body.

The touch detection is carried out by measuring and evaluating a current flow in the direction from the sensor to the person who touches the sensor surface and/or in the direction from the person into the sensor.

Claims

1. A touch sensor (S) defined by the following:

a conductive sensor surface (Fs) insulated with respect to ground potential, the conductive sensor surface (Fs) being connected via a measuring resistor (Rs) to an a.c. voltage generator (U), a voltage difference (Us) across the measuring resistor (Rs) being used as a measuring signal, wherein a first input {overscore ((A))} of an AND circuit is connected via a NOT circuit to a generator side of the measuring resistor (Rs);

a second input (B) of the AND circuit is connected to a sensor-surface side of the measuring resistor (Rs);

an integrator (TP) is connected downstream of the AND circuit;

a comparator (C) and/or microcontroller (C) is connected downstream of the integrator (TP).

2. The touch sensor (S) as claimed in claim 1, defined by the following:

the a.c. voltage generator (U) is built up by a first gate (GATE1);

the NOT circuit is built up by means of a second gate (GATE2);

the AND circuit is built up by means of a third gate (GATE3) and a fourth gate (GATE4).

3. The touch sensor (S) as claimed in claim 2, defined by the following:

a zero-signal compensation element (KS) comprising a low-pass filter (R2/C2) is connected between the second (GATE2) and third gates (GATE3).

4. The touch sensor (S) as claimed in claim 2, defined by the following:

the integrator (TP) and the comparator (C) and/or the microcontroller (C) are connected downstream of the fourth gate (GATE4).

5. A sanitary fitting (SLM), defined by the following:

at least one touch sensor (S) as claimed in claim 1 is integrated in the sanitary fitting (SLM) and is used to control at least one solenoid valve (MV, MV) on a water feed (CW, HW) of the fitting.

6. The fitting (SLM) as claimed in claim 5, defined by the following:

the fitting (SLM) has a manually operated operating element (AM) to open/close a mechanical value, which is connected downstream of the solenoid valves (MV) in the water feed of the fitting.

7. The fitting (SLM) as claimed in claim 5, defined by the following:

an operating element (AH) of the fitting (SLM) is used as the sensor surface (Fs) and is connected to control electronics (SE) of the sensor S via a connecting cable (AFs);

the operating element (AM) is arranged to be d.c. insulated.

8. The fitting (SLM) as claimed in claim 5, defined by the following:

arranged in the fitting are a number of the touch sensors (S), which are each connected to different d.c.-insulated elements of the fitting (SLM) or its portions.

9. The fitting (SLM) as claimed in claims 5, defined by the following:

in addition to the touch sensor (S), also arranged in the fitting (SLM) is an infrared reflection light barrier with control electronics (IRS) for operating the at least one solenoid valve (MV).

10. The fitting (SLM) as claimed in claim 5, defined by the following:

sensor electronics arranged in the fitting (SLM) are supplied with energy by a battery.

11. The fitting (SLM) as claimed in claim 10, defined by the following:

the battery is arranged inside the fitting (SLM).

12. The fitting (SLM) as claimed in claim 10, defined by the following:

the negative terminal of the battery is connected to the fitting (SLM) via a coupling element (KP).

13. A method of detecting a touch on an electrically conductive surface, defined by the following:

the touch sensor (S) as claimed in claim 1 is used;

the complex conductance of a human body (M) is detected;

the touch detection is carried out by measuring and evaluating a current flow (la) in the direction from the sensor (S) to the human body (M) who touches the sensor surface (Fs), and/or in the direction from the human body (M) into the sensor.

14. The method of detecting a touch on an electrically conductive surface as claimed in claim 13, defined by the following:

a phase shift of a voltage difference (Us) across a measuring resistor (Rs), produced by touching the sensor surface (Fs), is measured by signal processing electronics comprising a differential amplifier (NOT, AND), integrator (TP) and comparator (C) and/or microcontroller (C).