Bathroom flushers with novel sensors and controllers
First Claim
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1. A bathroom flusher, comprising:
- a flusher body having an inlet 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 said water flow from said inlet to said outlet,a pilot chamber constructed to control movement of said moving member, andan actuator system for actuating operation of said moving member by releasing pressure in said pilot chamber and thereby initiating movement of said moving member, said actuator system, comprising;
a battery for powering said actuator system;
an electromagnetic actuator including a solenoid coil and an armature housing constructed and arranged to receive an elongated armature arranged in a linearly movable relationship;
a controller coupled to a power driver constructed to provide a drive signal to said solenoid coil for displacing said armature and thereby controlling said water flow; and
an actuator sensor constructed and arranged to sense said armature due to voltage induced by movement of said armature and provide a sensor signal to said controller, said controller being constructed to provide said drive signal at various levels depending on said sensor signal.
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Abstract
A 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, and an actuator for actuating operation of the moving member. The bathroom flusher includes one of several novel sensors and is controlled by one of several novel controllers, as described. The controller may execute a novel control algorithm.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A bathroom flusher, comprising:
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a flusher body having an inlet 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 said water flow from said inlet to said outlet, a pilot chamber constructed to control movement of said moving member, and an actuator system for actuating operation of said moving member by releasing pressure in said pilot chamber and thereby initiating movement of said moving member, said actuator system, comprising; a battery for powering said actuator system; an electromagnetic actuator including a solenoid coil and an armature housing constructed and arranged to receive an elongated armature arranged in a linearly movable relationship; a controller coupled to a power driver constructed to provide a drive signal to said solenoid coil for displacing said armature and thereby controlling said water flow; and an actuator sensor constructed and arranged to sense said armature due to voltage induced by movement of said armature and provide a sensor signal to said controller, said controller being constructed to provide said drive signal at various levels depending on said sensor signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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5. An electromagnetic actuator system for controlling hydraulically a battery-operated automatic bathroom flusher, comprising:
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a pilot mechanism constructed to control hydraulically movement of a diaphragm, located within a flusher body, constructed and designed to control water flow from an inlet to an outlet of the bathroom flusher; an actuator including a solenoid coil and an armature housing constructed and arranged to receive an armature arranged in a linearly movable relationship; a controller coupled to a power driver constructed to provide a drive signal to said solenoid coil for displacing said armature and thereby open or close a valve passage for fluid flow within said pilot mechanism, said fluid flow controlling hydraulically said movement of said diaphragm; and an actuator sensor constructed and arranged to sense a position of said armature by detecting induced voltage due to movement of said armature and provide a sensor signal to said controller, said controller being constructed to provide said drive signal at various levels depending on said sensor signal. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification