Electronic faucets for long-term operation

• US 7,069,941 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sloan Valve Company
• Original Assignee: Arichell Technologies Inc. (Sloan Valve Company)
• Inventors: Mo, Xiaoxiong, Parsons, Natan E., Herbert, Kay, Guler, Fatih, Greene, Gregory P.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, KEVIN L
• Application Number:
  US10/860,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20040221899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 251/129.04, 251/30.03, 137/624.11, 137/624.12, 137/1
• US Class Current: 137/1
• 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: E03C 1/057 touchless, i.e. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/10 Devices for preventing contamination of drinking-water pipes, e.g. means for aerating self-closing flushing valves vacuum-breakers in general F16K, F16L
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2201/40 Arrangement of water treatment devices in domestic plumbing installations
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 3/02 Self-closing flushing valves self-closing valves in general F16K21/04
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 5/105 touchless, e.g. using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/402 acting on a diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7758 Pilot or servo controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7762 Fluid pressure type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/86389 Programmer or timer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9464 Faucets and spouts

Abstract

An electronic faucet (10) mounted on a countertop (12) includes a housing, at least one fluid inlet line (24a, 24b) extending into the housing, a fluid outlet (46) from the housing, a solenoid (142, 143) for operating a valve controlling the fluid flow between at least one inlet line and the outlet, and a control circuit (206) for controlling the opening and closing of the valve.

Claims

1. A faucet including a sensor-based flow-control system, comprising:

a conduit having at least one water inlet and an outlet for providing water;

a main valve interposed in said conduit and controlled by an electromagnetic actuator including an armature housing, an armature and a coil operable by application of a coil drive to linearly displace said armature;

a membrane enclosing a distal part of said armature to seal armature fluid within an armature pocket and providing a volume for said armature fluid, said displacement of said distal part enables switching between an open state of said valve permitting fluid flow through the conduit, and a closed state of said valve preventing fluid flow through the conduit; and

a sensor for generating sensor output signals to an electronic control circuit constructed and arranged to provide said control signals that initiate said coil drive provided to said electromagnetic actuator to control water flow from the faucet.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein the control circuit begins a timing interval only if no previous timing interval is incomplete.

3. The control system of claim 1 wherein the object sensor includes an infrared object detector.

4. The control system of claim 3 wherein the infrared object detector is an active infrared object detector.

5. The control system of claim 4 wherein the infrared object detector is a passive infrared object detector.

6. The control system of claim 1 wherein the sensor includes an ultrasonic object detector.

7. The control system of claim 1 wherein said armature includes an armature port providing a fluid passage to enable flow of said armature fluid between said distal part and a proximal part of said armature thereby enabling rapid linear movement of said armature with respect to said armature housing during opening and closing, wherein said armature fluid is enclosed within said volume during said movement.

8. The control system of claim 1 wherein said electromagnetic actuator is a latching actuator.

9. The sensor-based flow control system of claim 1 including a valve device located in flow communication with said water inlet and said water outlet, said valve device comprising:

a valve body defining a valve cavity and including a valve closure surface; and

a fram assembly including a fram member and a sliding seal acting on a surface of said cavity for providing two pressure zones and being slidably movable within said valve cavity with respect a guiding member;

said fram member being constructed to move to an open position enabling fluid flow from said fluid input port to said fluid output port upon reduction of pressure in a first of said pressure zones; and

being constructed to move to a closed position, upon increase of pressure in said first pressure zone, creating a seal at said valve closure surface, wherein said sliding seal is constructed to isolate said first pressure zone from said second pressure zone.

10. An electronic faucet comprising

a housing;

at least one fluid inlet line extending into the housing;

a fluid outlet from the housing;

a solenoid valve including an electromagnetic actuator having a base arranged with a piloting button to provide a valve comprising said valve passage, said valve including a valve seat arranged for contact with a sealing member of said electromagnetic actuator, said piloting button being removably attachable to said actuator base to provide a known, substantially constant distance between valve seat arranged for contact with a sealing member, displacement of said sealing member with respect to said valve seat enables control of the fluid flow between said at least one inlet line in the outlet, and

a control circuit for controlling the opening and closing of the valve.

11. The electronic faucet of claim 10 wherein said base includes a base extension lower face cooperatively designed with said piloting button to provide a reproducible stop and thereby achieve said known, substantially constant distance when attaching said piloting button to said actuator base.

12. The electronic faucet of claim 10 wherein said sealing member includes a compliant region, and a resilient region designed to be displaced by said distal part of said armature and designed to come in contact with said valve seat.

13. The electronic faucet claim 12 wherein said resilient region is further designed to be attached to said distal part of said armature.

14. The electronic faucet of claim 12 wherein said resilient region includes a C-shaped member designed for said attachment to said distal part.

15. The electronic faucet of claim 10 wherein said electromagnetic actuator is a latching actuator.

16. The electronic faucet of claim 10 wherein said electromagnetic actuator is a non-latching actuator.

17. The electronic faucet of claim 15 wherein said a latching actuator is battery operated.

18. The electronic faucet of claim 10 further including a sensor for generating sensor output signals to said electronic control circuit constructed to control water flow from the faucet.

19. The electronic faucet of claim 18 wherein the control circuit begins a timing interval only if no previous timing interval is incomplete.

20. The electronic faucet of claim 18 wherein the sensor includes an infrared object detector.

21. The electronic faucet of claim 20 wherein the infrared object detector is an active infrared object detector.

22. The electronic faucet of claim 20 wherein the infrared object detector is a passive infrared object detector.

23. The electronic faucet of claim 18 wherein the sensor includes an ultrasonic object detector.

24. The electronic faucet of claim 10 including a valve device located in flow communication with said fluid inlet line and said fluid outlet, said valve device comprising:

a valve body defining a valve cavity and including a valve closure surface; and

a fram assembly including a fram member and a sliding seal acting on a surface of said cavity for providing two pressure zones and being slidably movable within said valve cavity with respect a guiding member;

said fram member being constructed to move to an open position enabling fluid flow from said fluid input port to said fluid output port upon reduction of pressure in a first of said pressure zones; and

being constructed to move to a closed position, upon increase of pressure in said first pressure zone, creating a seal at said valve closure surface, wherein said sliding seal is constructed to isolate said first pressure zone from said second pressure zone.

25. A valve device, comprising:

a fluid input port and a fluid output port;

a valve body defining a valve cavity and including a valve closure surface; and

a fram assembly including a fram member and a sliding seal acting on a surface of said cavity for providing two pressure zones and being slidably movable within said valve cavity with respect a guiding member;

said fram member being constructed to move to an open position enabling fluid flow from said fluid input port to said fluid output port upon reduction of pressure in a first of said pressure zones; and

being constructed to move to a closed position, upon increase of pressure in said first pressure zone, creating a seal at said valve closure surface, wherein said sliding seal is constructed to isolate said first pressure zone from said second pressure zone.

26. The valve device of claim 25, wherein said two pressure zones include two chambers separated by said fram assembly and wherein said first pressure zone includes a pilot chamber.

27. The valve device of claim 26 including an electromagnetic operator constructed and arranged to release pressure in said pilot chamber and thereby initiate movement of said fram member from said closed position to said open position.

28. The valve device of claim 27, wherein said operator includes a latching actuator.

29. The valve device of claim 27, wherein said operator includes a non-latching actuator.

30. The valve device of claim 27, wherein said operator includes an actuator having an isolation membrane for containing fluid inside a plunger cavity of said actuator.

31. The valve device of claim 25 wherein said fram assembly includes a pliable member and a stiff member, said pliable member being constructed to come in contact with said valve closure surface to form said seal in said closed position.

32. The valve device of claim 31, wherein said valve closure surface includes a lip providing said seal in said closed position.

33. The valve device of claim 25 including a bias member.

34. The valve device of claim 33 wherein said bias member is constructed and arranged to assist movement of said fram member from said open position to said closed position.

35. The valve device of claim 33 wherein said bias member includes a spring.

36. The valve device of claim 33 wherein said guiding member includes a pin.

37. The valve device of claim 36 wherein said pin includes a grove.

38. The valve device of claim 25 wherein, wherein said first pressure zone includes a pilot chamber and a second of said pressure zones includes an input chamber;

and wherein said guiding member includes a pin having a grove providing a passage from said input chamber to said pilot chamber.

39. The valve device of claim 26 including a manual operator constructed and arranged to release pressure in said pilot chamber and thereby initiate movement of said fram member from said closed position to said open position.

40. The valve device of claim 26 including an electromagnetic operator constructed and arranged to displace a magnetic element and thereby release pressure in said pilot chamber to initiate movement of said fram member from said closed position to said open position.

41. A method of controlling fluid flow, comprising:

providing a fluid input port and a fluid output port associated with a valve body defining a valve cavity and including a valve closure surface;

providing a fram assembly including a fram member and a sliding seal acting on a surface of said cavity for defining two pressure zones and being slidably movable within said valve cavity with respect a guiding member, said sliding seal being constructed to isolate a first of said pressure zones from a second of said pressure zones;

reducing a pressure in a first of said pressure zones and thereby initiating movement of said fram member guided by said guiding member to an open position enabling fluid flow from said fluid input port to said fluid output port; and

closing a control passage to increase of pressure in said first pressure zone and thereby initiating movement of said fram member guided by said guiding member from said open position to said closed position preventing fluid flow from said fluid input port to said fluid output port.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said reducing the pressure includes activating an operator.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said activating said operator includes initially receiving a signal from an object sensor.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein said activating said operator includes providing battery power to said operator.