Automatic bathroom flushers

• US 7,437,778 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Arichell Technologies Inc. (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): Bastianelli; John
• Application Number:
  US10/859,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20050062004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 251/129.04, 251/129.15, 251 3001- 3005, 251/129.17, 361/160, 137/554, 424/9, 430/2, 430/4, 430/5, 431/3, 250/221
• US Class Current: 4/249
• 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: 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: Y10T 137/8242 Electrical

Abstract

An automatic bathroom flusher includes a body having an inlet in communication with a supply line and an outlet in communication with a flush conduit, a valve assembly in the body positioned to close water flow between the inlet and the outlet upon sealing action of a moving member at a valve seat thereby controlling flow from the inlet to the outlet, an actuator for actuating operation of the moving member, and a controller.

Claims

1. A bathroom flusher comprising:

a valve body having an inlet coupled to a water pipe and an outlet,

a valve assembly in said body positioned to close water flow between said inlet and outlet upon sealing action of a moving member at a valve seat thereby controlling flow from said inlet to said outlet,

an actuator including a solenoid coil and an armature housing constructed to receive a linearly movable armature constructed to be displaced between extended and retracted positions by a drive current delivered to said solenoid coil and thereby control said sealing action of said moving member, and

a control circuitry, including a microcontroller, constructed and arranged to provide said drive current for actuating operation of said moving member, said microcontroller being connected to provide signals to and receive signals from said control circuitry and, said microcontroller being programmed to calculate water pressure in said water pipe at said inlet, based on a latch time of said linearly movable armature, and thereby control amount of water delivered by the bathroom flusher by initiating closing of said water flow after prior opening of said water flow by said moving member.

2. The bathroom flusher of claim 1 wherein said moving member is a high flow rate diaphragm constructed to linearly move within a valve cavity.

3. The bathroom flusher of claim 1 wherein said moving member is a diaphragm.

4. The bathroom flusher of claim 1 wherein said moving member is a piston.

9. The bathroom flusher of claim 1 wherein said control circuitry includes a sensor constructed to detect voltage induced by said linearly movable armature and said microcontroller is connected to receive a signal corresponding to said voltage.

10. The bathroom flusher of claim 9 wherein said sensor is constructed and arranged to detect changes to said drive current due to movement of said armature.

11. The bathroom flusher of claim 9 wherein said sensor includes a resistor arranged to receive at least a portion of said drive current, and a voltmeter constructed to measure voltage across said resistor.

12. The bathroom flusher of claim 9 wherein said sensor includes a coil sensor constructed and arranged to detect said voltage induced by movement of said armature.

13. The bathroom flusher of claim 12 wherein said coil sensor is connected in a feedback arrangement to a signal conditioner providing conditioned signal to said microcontroller.

14. The bathroom flusher of claim 13 wherein said signal conditioner includes a preamplifier and a low-pass filter.

15. The bathroom flusher of claim 9 wherein said sensor includes two coil sensors each constructed and arranged to detect said voltage induced by movement of said armature.

16. The bathroom flusher of claim 15 wherein said two coil sensors are connected in a feedback arrangement to a differential amplifier constructed to provide a differential signal to said microcontroller.

17. The bathroom flusher of claim 1 wherein said actuator is a latching actuator.

18. The bathroom flusher of claim 17 wherein said latching actuator further includes a bias spring positioned and arranged to bias said armature toward an extended position providing a closed passage state without any drive signal being delivered to said solenoid coil.

19. The bathroom flusher of claim 1 wherein said control circuitry further including a presence sensor connected to provide signals to said microcontroller.

27. The bathroom flusher of claim 1 further including an optical sensor constructed to detect a user.

28. The bathroom flusher of claim 27, wherein said optical sensor includes:

a light emitter constructed and arranged to emit light to a selected direction; and

a light detector constructed and arranged to detect light corresponding to a reflection of the emitted light from said user;

wherein said microcontroller is further constructed to direct light emission from said light emitter and constructed to receive signal from said light detector corresponding to the detected light.

29. The bathroom flusher of claim 28, wherein said microcontroller is constructed to provide said drive current based on first detecting arrival of the target and then detecting departure of the target.

30. The bathroom flusher of claim 28, wherein said microcontroller is constructed to provide said drive current based on relative movement of the target with respect to the light source and detector.

31. The bathroom flusher of claim 28, wherein said microcontroller is constructed to provide said drive current based on detecting presence of the target.

5. A bathroom flusher including:

a valve body having an inlet coupled to a water pipe and an outlet,

a valve assembly in said body positioned to close water flow between said inlet and outlet upon sealing action of a moving member at a valve seat thereby controlling flow from said inlet to said outlet, a pressure chamber located within said valve body arranged to provide control water pressure to said moving member;

a flexible member having one end fixed relative to said pressure chamber and another end of said flexible member being attached to said moving member of said valve assembly, wherein there is a passage in said flexible member arranged to reduce pressure in said pressure chamber;

an actuator including a solenoid coil and an armature housing constructed to receive a linearly movable armature constructed to be displaced between extended and retracted positions by a drive current delivered to said solenoid coil and thereby control said sealing action of said moving member, and

a control circuitry, including a microcontroller, constructed and arranged to provide said drive current for actuating operation of said moving member, said microcontroller being connected to receive signals from said control circuitry, and said microcontroller being programmed to calculate water pressure in said water pipe at said inlet, based on a latch time of said linearly movable armature, and thereby control amount of water delivered by the bathroom flusher by initiating closing of said water flow after prior opening of said water flow by said moving member.

6. The bathroom flusher of claim 5 wherein said moving member is a high flow rate diaphragm constructed to linearly move within a valve cavity.

7. The bathroom flusher of claim 5 wherein said moving member is a diaphragm.

8. The bathroom flusher of claim 5 wherein said moving member is a piston.

20. The bathroom flusher of claim 5 wherein said control circuitry includes a sensor constructed to detect voltage induced by said linearly movable armature and said microcontroller is connected to receive a signal corresponding to said voltage.

21. The bathroom flusher of claim 20 wherein said sensor is constructed and arranged to detect changes to said drive current due to movement of said armature.

22. The bathroom flusher of claim 20 wherein said sensor includes a resistor arranged to receive at least a portion of said drive current, and a voltmeter constructed to measure voltage across said resistor.

23. The bathroom flusher of claim 20 wherein said sensor includes a coil sensor constructed and arranged to detect said voltage induced by movement of said armature.

24. The bathroom flusher of claim 5 wherein said actuator is a latching actuator.

25. The bathroom flusher of claim 24 wherein said latching actuator further includes a bias spring positioned and arranged to bias said armature toward an extended position providing a closed passage state without any drive signal being delivered to said solenoid coil.

26. The bathroom flusher of claim 5 wherein said control circuitry further including a presence sensor connected to provide signals to said microcontroller.

32. The bathroom flusher of claim 5 further including an optical sensor constructed to detect a user.

33. The bathroom flusher of claim 32, wherein said optical sensor includes:

a light emitter constructed and arranged to emit light to a selected direction; and

a light detector constructed and arranged to detect light corresponding to a reflection of the emitted light from said user;

wherein said microcontroller is further constructed to direct light emission from said light emitter and constructed to receive signal from said light detector corresponding to the detected light.